Examples of Effective Teaching Strategies

Over the course of eight summers I have volunteered for the National Park Service creating and facilitating curriculum content for outreach education programs for all ages. My latest summer project was located at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and it focused on creating a teacher workshop integrating Western Expansion of the Jackson Hole area with STEM and technology lessons.

Example Lesson: STEM Ice House

Observing aquatic invertebrates in the Gunnison River

I integrate technology into my daily lessons and activities whenever possible. Currently, my school district has Smartboards, document cameras, and google chromebooks for students. I have taken advantage of having access to these devices and software by extending my lessons beyond the classroom by creating instructional videos to assist students and their families with lessons from the classroom.

Knowlescast youtube channel



For five years I have had my students participate in environmental stewardship projects funded by grants totaling nearly $13,000. The projects involved students designing and building native pollinator gardens for the local library, museum, retirement center, and student's families. Students created various formats to teach others about the importance of pollinators. Here is an example of a student project about one of our stewardship projects.


The Importance of Things with Wings


I believe that one of the fundamental things that a teacher can provide for all students is establishing a safe and positive learning environment that promotes collaboration, student achievement, and character development. As an educator I am constantly finding ways to create an inviting learning space that optimizes learning and promotes collaboration. Below are before and after photos of a classroom that I renovated to meet my expectations as a learning space.

Before classroom renovation

After classroom renovation