Since 1978, teaching has consumed my
life. From 1987 - 1999, I had primary responsibility for teaching
preservice and inservice reading education courses. During
the 1997- 98 school year, I was on personal leave from the
university to return to the classroom teaching full-time in
a first grade classroom. This allowed me to reconnect with
my previous K-12 teaching experience as a primary Title I
Reading Teacher and First Grade classroom teacher. During
the 1999-2000 school year, I served as the acting associate
dean for the College of Education and Human Services. The
following year, I began my official term as associate dean.
In 2006, I returned to my full-time faculty position in the
Reading Department.
My commitment to scholarship
stems from my belief that teachers can best create learning
communities within their own classrooms when they are inside
players in other learning communities. I also believe that I
am my best experiment and much of my eighteen year record of
scholarship focuses on my work as a teacher educator. I have
been recognized for my work with the
-
2003 Wright Group-McGraw
Hill Seeing the Learner in Every Child National Award
-
2003 Oshkosh Area
School District Friend of Education Award
-
1993 UW Oshkosh Endowment for
Excellence Award
-
1991 UW Oshkosh University Distinguished
Teaching Award.
I have published over
40 manuscripts in a variety of forums including:
-
The Reading Teacher
-
Language Arts
-
The Learning Disabilities
Forum
-
Journal of Reading
Education
-
New Era in Education
Childhood Education
-
monographs from The
College Reading Association
-
National Reading Conference
yearbook
I have:
-
served as a columnist
for Reading Today (1988-89)
-
edited Wisconsin Reading
Update (1991-1995) and The Whole Idea (1990-1996)
-
co-edited the WSRA
monograph "Where Have All the Bluebirds Gone? Transforming
Ability Based Reading Classrooms"
- serves as consulting author to Wright Reading (
McGraw Hill Wright Group) and served as consulting author for Reading 2000
(Scott Foresman Addison Wesley)
- co-author of "Books and Beyond: New Ways to Reach Readers",
"Reaching Readers: Flexible and Innovative Strategies for Guided
Reading" and "Where Have All the Bluebirds Gone:
How to Soar with Flexible Grouping" all from Heinemann
Publishers
I have made hundreds of presentations
to different international, national, regional, state and
local conferences. My service to my institution, organizations
and local schools allows me to engage in dialogue with other
professionals. This keeps my teaching rooted in current theory
and the reality of frontline contexts. It impacts on how I
prepare my students for their future classrooms. I am a former
President and current Advocacy Liaison of the Wisconsin State
Reading Association which awarded me the 2001 Outstanding
Service Award. I have also served as a member of the Executive
Board of the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association. I have
worked with hundreds of different school districts and educational
agencies throughout the world on reading related issues.
Date of First
Employment at UW Oshkosh: Fall 1987
Years of P-12 Experience: Title 1, Reading,
First Grade, 7 Years
