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Laura believes God called her to the teaching ministry and equips her for daily work in the first grade classroom. He has placed in her thosse skills and abilities through which he works to feed His lambs. Laura knows that if anything "good" happens in her room, it is by God's grace, not her merit. The teaching ministry is filled with blessings--not a day goes by that the Lord doesn't reveal Himself in ways both large and small.
Laura believes 6 and 7 year olds learn best in a safe, nurturing environment where they are free to take risks in their learning. They need to be actively involved each day in each lesson. They need to move and sing and speak as well as sit and listen. Learning happens in so many ways.
Literacy is woven into each subject. First graders need to be immersed in print and given the support they need individually to make sense of that print. Reading and writing need to be meaningful in order for kids to flex their literacy muscles. Each student is at a different place and so needs different support. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening are life skills, and the groundwork has to be solid.
Laura graduated from Concordia University in River Forest, IL, in 1983 with a BA in Education. She taught in the second grade in Chicago, IL, for 5 years before returning to her home state of Wisconsin. She spent two years teaching at the Kindergarten level. In 1990, she accepted the call to teach first grade at Our Redeemer and God continues to call her to ministry in this place.
Laura and her husband, Brad, have three children, all of whom attend Our Redeemer Lutheran School. They value the strong Christian education their children receive here.
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