Presenters Bios
Andrea Absey is currently a third grade teacher for South Washington County Schools. She has been teaching for the past 19 years. Her teaching experiences range from grades K-6, and include the states of MN, ND, CA, and AZ. She has a Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning, with a focus on AD/HD students in the regular education classroom. After receiving her Masters she created a class called “Connecting Research to Reality” which she teaches for credit through Hamline University. Her passion is “hooking” kids into becoming “life-long learners” and does this with using love and laughter. Her teaching style is equally concrete-sequential and abstract-random, she says she needs to be overly organized so that she can be flexible for her students. She believes in practicing what she preaches so be ready to move and discuss!
Julie Angermeyr has finally found the time to share her ideas on purposeful reading comprehension instruction with intermediate teachers. She is now a ‘former’ fourth grade teacher after teaching over 30 years in ISD 196. Julie has been involved with developing, guiding, and supporting intermediate literacy at the building and district level in all aspects of balanced literacy and Reading Workshop. She has also been an adjunct faculty member of Hamline University and is currently presenting her scope and sequence of reading comprehension strategies to interested schools.
Rick Bell is a 5th grade teacher and former Technology Integration Specialist at New Prague Area Schools. He is passionate about technology integration and is always searching for ways to enhance student learning with technology. Rick has a total of eight years of classroom experience in 4th and 5th grades. He is married to Heidi and lives in New Prague with his two children Aidan (4) and Sophia (1). Rick loves spending time with his wife and children, as well as playing baseball and golf, fishing and biking. He also coaches high school baseball, middle school basketball and youth football.
Pat Bethke has been an early childhood instructor in Lakeville’s ISD 194 Small Wonders Preschool Program for 13 years. She will complete her MAEd in Instructional Leadership this summer. She was trained and certified in the Nurtured Heart Approach™ (NHA) by Howard Glasser, its creator, with the Champaign Unit 4 School District in Champaign, IL. She uses the approach in her classroom and has experienced the most profound transformation of positive behaviors with very challenging children. Pat currently teaches the approach to parents and teachers in the surrounding Twin Cities area. She will be a featured speaker at the Nurtured Heart Global Summit in San Francisco in June. Pat’s classroom experiences are illustrated in Howard Glasser’s most recent book, Notching Up the Nurtured Heart Approach: The New Inner Wealth Initiative for Educators. To learn more about the NHA and how it is being used in education, you can view her website at www.interconnections.us.com
Renee Carlson is currently an evaluator and instructor for the Learner’s Edge Inc. Prior to the Learner’s Edge, she served as an Elementary Assistant Principal in the South St. Paul School District, and taught first and fourth grade in District 196. She believes in the importance of continuing education and enjoys providing meaningful, current, professional development experiences for teachers.
Jessica Crooker is a Literacy Coach at North View Junior High in Brooklyn Park and was previously a reading specialist at Eastview High School in Apple Valley. In addition, she is an adjunct instructor at the University of St. Thomas. Topics of interest to her are motivating and engaging adolescents, accelerating the literacy growth of struggling adolescent readers, and her most recent favorite read is Stephen Layne’s Igniting a Passion for Reading. Jessica connects with literacy leaders in Minnesota through the Leadership in Reading Network and the Minnesota Reading Association’s Secondary Reading Interest Council.
Amy Faust is currently the K-6 Literacy Coordinator for the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage school district and supports elementary literacy at the building and district level. She has been teaching for the past 14 years. Her teaching experiences range from grades K-6, and include the states of MN and eleven years in California. She has a Master’s degree in Reading and Language Arts and holds a reading specialist license. Amy is passionate about accelerating literacy growth in all students as well as creating life-long readers.
Beth Flottmeier is currently an Elementary Curriculum Coordinator for Bloomington Public Schools. She completed undergraduate work at UW-LaCrosse, masters at Hamline University and holds a Reading Specialist License. Beth has been a media specialist and taught in a multiage setting for over 10 years. She loves literacy and sharing her enthusiasm for it. Beth is a proud mother of a daughter age 4 and a son age 2.
Becky Gainey has been a Reading Specialist with Northfield Public Schools for the last 7 years. Becky has over 14 years of classroom experience in various elementary settings. As a Reading Specialist, Becky has found a wonderful balance of working in classrooms and working alongside teachers to share her passion for literacy.
Rachel Gens is a currently a 3rd grade teacher at Normandale Hills Elementary in Bloomington. She has also taught 2nd grade, Title I and has served as a Literacy Coordinator. She is an adjunct instructor at Hamline University in the Reading Licensure program, and has been a presenter at SORLA as well as Hamline University's Summer Literacy Institute. Rachel is passionate about working with at-risk students and enjoys watching struggling readers develop enthusiasm for reading.
Shannon Gilmore has been working in District 196 (Rosemount, Apple Valley, and Eagan) for the past 15 years. She taught in elementary classrooms in grades 3-5 for 7 years. Currently, she is working as an Elementary Math Trainer for District 196. This is the eighth year that she has traveled to all 18 elementary buildings and worked with students and teachers. Her responsibilities include district-wide professional development, meeting with teachers to help facilitate the implementation of the math curriculum adoption, and teaching demonstration lessons in the area of mathematics.
Patti Greene is Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools’ K-12 Reading Coordinator. She serves on Hamline’s Summer Literacy Institute Committee. Patti is an adjunct instructor for Hamline, offering literacy courses both on and off campus.
Louise Griffith, an internationally-recognized speaker, psychologist, leadership coach, and former educator, helps her clients get clear about what they want - and then achieve it. Under her spirited and practical guidance, they learn how to access their power, eliminate self-defeating behaviors, build on their strengths and tap into their passion. Louise challenges her clients to explore how their thoughts impact their actions. The result? Better choices, improved communications, richer relationships, life-changing insights and increased success. Her clients include individuals, educational institutions, associations and companies who want MORE!
Bob Hazen is the founder of two math endeavors - SAI: the Summer Algebra Institute for Kids, and AFB: Algebra For Breakfast. SAI (www.AlgebraForKids.com) is a week-long, half-day math enrichment program for students as young as 3rd grade, where we have taught substantive, memorable algebra since 1995 to more than 2,700 students of varying academic abilities. SAI students come from the Twin Cities metro area and from as far away as AZ, NH, OH, TX, CA, and GA. AFB (AlgebraForBreakfast.com) is an online video version of SAI that makes SAI and algebra more easily accessible to kids across the country. Bob has served on adjunct faculty at Augsburg College where he taught courses on elementary math methods. He also is a regular speaker at education conferences on “Math Games to Supplement Any Math Curriculum” and similar topics. Bob has taught secondary mathematics since 1988 and currently teaches math at Mounds View High School. He can be reached at 651-645-4432 and via email at info@AlgebraForKids.com.
Michelle Johnson has 16 years of teaching experience in grades K, 2,3, and Title one. She is currently teaching third grade at Orchard Lake Elementary in Lakeville.
Barbara Kavan is serving as a Special Education Administrator for Prior Lake-Savage Schools. “Trainman” is her first recently published book. Previous to writing “Trainman” Barb and her son Stefan began sharing their story as a mother-son team in January of 2006. Stefan Kavan lives in Burnsville in a group home setting. He recently began working at Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota in Eagan. He also attends Life Works part-time. “Educating Trainman”, is story on autism and how it impacts Stefan on a daily basis. Barb and Stefan have presented to parent groups, general and special education teachers, social service providers, and school administrators. In 2009, they presented at the National Autism Society of America conference in Chicago, Illinois. Their message provides hope and inspiration to members of the autism community.
Kim Koepp has over 20 years experience working as a school social worker. She has worked with students from Kindergarten thru high school and worked for 10 years in a self-contained Level III EBD classroom. She currently provides social work services at Hidden Oaks Middle School in Prior Lake.
Jen Legatt is the Instructional Technology Integration Specialist for the Farmington School District. Prior to this, Jen taught middle school English for ISD192 and Farmington. She has her Master’s Degree in Educational Technology from Minnesota State University, Mankato. In her current position, she has worked to help teachers bring technology tools into their classrooms to enrich student learning. She enjoys spending time experimenting with technology tools, reading, scrapbooking, gardening, and spending time with her husband and two children.
Sarah Loechler has been a guidance counselor at Twin Oaks Middle School in Prior Lake for the last 9 years. She has been presenting on the topic of bullying for the past seven years and with SORLA specifically for the past 4 years. She has a very interactive presentation with a lot of dialogue and problem solving amongst participants.
Jennifer McCarty (Plucker) is a Reading Specialist at Eastview High School in Apple Valley, District 196 where she has taught English Language Arts, Speech, and Reading for 14 years. Jen recently completed her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership (K-12) from Argosy University where she concentrated her research in systematic intervention for middle and high school readers. In addition she serves as Vice President of the Minnesota Reading Association, collaborates with the Minnesota Department of Education, the MRA Secondary Reading Interest Council, Leadership in Reading Network, and the Teachers of Striving Readers cohort in District 196. She also is an adjunct instructor for Saint Mary's and Hamline. Jen is passionate about accelerating the literacy growth of adolescent readers and is eager to collaborate with other teachers on best practices for achieving this.
Julie McDonell is a third grade teacher at Valley View Elementary in Bloomington. Prior to this, she spent five years working with 3rd and 5th graders as a Title I teacher. She has a Master’s Degree from Saint Mary's University and has been a presenter at SORLA for the past four years. Julie enjoys working with struggling readers and helping them gain the strategies and confidence necessary to become good readers.
Jason Molesky is the Assessment & Accountability Coordinator for Lakeville Area Public Schools and an adjunct instructor for Saint Mary's University, teaching Assessment and Evaluation in their Masters of Education Program. Prior to his current position, he taught mathematics and AP Statistics in Lakeville. Jason is passionate about statistics education, curriculum design, and assessment for learning practices. He enjoys consulting on several statistics textbooks, serving as an AP Exam Reader each year, teaching the "FRAPPY" process of formative assessment at conferences across the U.S., and maintaining the "StatsMonkey" website.
Julie Montgomery is currently a math trainer for grades 5-8 in District 196 (Rosemount, Apple Valley and Eagan). Her teaching experience includes 13 years of 6th grade math in the middle school setting and 15 years of teaching 5th grade in elementary school settings. She also has been an adjunct instructor for Saint Mary's University, and Hamline University. She enjoys working with students of all ages, including adult learners!
Tamara J. Moore is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics/Engineering Education and Co-Director for the STEM Education Center at the University of Minnesota. She has degrees in mathematics, engineering, mathematics education, and engineering education. Dr. Moore is a former high school mathematics teacher, and her research and teaching interests are centered on the integration of STEM concepts in the mathematics and engineering classroom. Her specific areas of research consider student learning through modeling in STEM contexts, development of STEM Integration curricular tools and activities for K-12 and post-secondary classrooms, and instructor implementation of STEM Integration.
Diann Mosher is currently a 1st grade teacher who has taught kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades at Christina Huddleston Elementary School in Lakeville for 18 years. She has a Masters of Education. Diann is trained in the Orton-Gillingham kinesthetic approach to teaching reading and writing and has been using that method in the classroom and in tutoring for 18 years. She incorporates this multi-sensory method into all aspects of her teaching to support authentic hands-on learning in her students.
Sara Murr has over 25 years teaching experience and is a former elementary and middle school social studies teacher, dean of students and a staff development coordinator. She currently teaches grade 7 English and is a coordinator of middle level gifted education in the Prior Lake-Savage Area Public Schools.
Dr. Charlene Myklebust, Psy.D., is the Director of Mental Health and Partnerships in Intermediate District 287. She is a Jensen-certified brain based learning trainer and is an Associate Director of Training for the Hawn Foundation, a philanthropic group dedicated to promoting mindful education in schools. Char received the "Educator of the Year" award in 2010 from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI). She is President of Professional Education Pal, an on-line continuing education resource for educators. Char wrote the Train the Trainer manual for the "Early Warning Signs of Children's Mental Health Disorders" course sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Education.
Jayme Pelerine, a grade reading teacher in Hopkins with almost 20 years of teaching experience. She is a former adjunct Language Arts instructor at Bemidji State University.
Kelly Peterson is a practicing school psychologist in New Prague, Minnesota. Ms. Peterson received her bachelor's degree in psychology from St. Cloud State University and her Master's and Post Master's degrees in Education and School Psychology from the University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse. Currently, she dedicates most of her time to evaluation, consultation, and intervention with children in early childhood to fifth grade. Ms. Peterson's experience is highlighted in assessment, social skills training, and the development of behavior interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). She acts as a consultant for a level 3 ASD program in a K-5 elementary school and also conducts district wide ASD evaluations.
Linda Knebel Pruden is a speech/language pathologist living in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has over 30 years of teaching experience in rural, inner city, and suburban schools, was named Teacher of the Year in her school district in 1987, and was honored as one of three outstanding teachers in the state of Texas in 1988. Linda is the author of five books for teachers. She has presented numerous workshops and seminars in the areas of language, listening, and learning, at the local, state, and national levels. Additionally, Linda has been an adjunct faculty member of several universities, including Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, where she has taught since 1980. Linda’s seminars are based on the philosophy that all students can learn, that listening, language, and thinking skills can be taught, that empowering students is vital, and that learning can be fun for teachers, as well as for students. Her presentations are both humorous and thought provoking. She encourages each teacher to reevaluate and, in so doing, to grow. A multitude of ideas that can be easily incorporated into all curriculum areas are provided. “Stimulating” and ‘Practical” are consistently used to describe her seminars. Linda also teaches classes through Learner's Edge, Inc. Check out Teachers Matter June 23-24 and many other professional development opportunities at www.LearnersEdgeInc.com.
Stevie Ray
- Executive Director of Stevie Ray's Improv Company, an organization that has provided training and entertainment since 1989. www.stevierays.org/
- Corporate Trainer and consultant for Fortune 500 companies and mid-sized companies. Consistently rated the #1 presenter at conferences and events.
- Nationally syndicated columnist for the Business Journal Newspapers.
- The only person in the country to design his own college degree in Theory and Performance of Comedy at Minnesota State University-Moorhead.
- Professional entertainer and has opened for Paula Poundstone, Rich Hall of Saturday Night Live, and "Weird Al" Yankovic.
- Author of five books includeing What We Laugh at, and Why, Keep Your Mind On Your Work, and Speaking in Public without Sweating in Private.
- Martial artist with four black belts.
- Beekeeper and owner of Steve's Bees Minnesota Honey.
Andrea Rients is the Secondary Instructional Coordinator for the Shakopee School District. Through this role, she has been trained in Cognitive Coaching and the SIOP Model for teaching ELL students and provides staff development and teacher support throughout the Middle, Junior and Senior High Schools. Prior to this, Annie taught 10-12 grade social studies at Shakopee High School, and is a Gustavus Alumni—Go Gusties!
Children’s book author Jane St. Anthony grew up in Minneapolis and earned a bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Minnesota. Her first middle grade novel, The Summer Sherman Loved Me (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2006), was completed while she was a resident at The Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Red Wing, Minnesota. Grace Above All (FSG), her second novel for young readers, was published in May 2007. Before turning to fiction, Jane worked in corporate and nonprofit communications.
Carrie Sauber has been teaching for Lakeville Area Public Schools for 11 years. She is currently teaching second grade at Christina Huddleston Elementary. She has taught Half Day/All Day Kindergarten, First and Second grades. She has also spent four years as a looping teacher in grades 1 and 2. The last three summers she has been an onsite instructor for Learner's Edge, teaching both literacy and math courses. She has a masters in education from St. Mary's University.
Kristin Scherman is a District Literacy Coach at the secondary level for Farmington schools, where she works alongside teachers implementing literacy best practice in classrooms, as well as coordinates district-wide literacy initiatives and staff development. She has taught at a variety of elementary grade levels, including two years as a third grade teacher, and has worked with 6-9th grade striving readers through an ALC program, which she helped design. This is Kristin’s eleventh year of teaching and will be her fifth year teaching at SORLA.
Tom Spalla is a Physical Education Specialist on the K-8 level and teaches at Western Dubuque Schools near Dubuque, Iowa. He has been teaching for 38 years and has presented over a hundred workshops in movement in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Kansas, and California. He has his masters in Physical Education from the University of Northern Iowa and his undergraduate degree from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. He was the Middle School Teacher of the Year for the State of Iowa in 2001 and the Honor award winner in 2003. He presents his workshop each year at St. Catherine University during the summer. You can find out more information on his Website at www.tomworkshop.com
Kevin Strauss, M.S. Ed., Award-winning Author, Speaker, Storyteller tells stories that help people smile and make people think. In his innovative BullyBlocker Presentations, Strauss used traditional folktales, historical stories and personal stories to give children and adults the tools they need to stay safe and stop bullies cold. Kevin also presents programs on Drug Prevention, Conflict Resolution, and Character Education. His sixth book, "Story Solutions" (Libraries Unlimited 2011) focuses on using stories and activities to help children deal with bullying, drug use, and conflicts at school and in the community. You can learn more about his programs at www.naturestory.com.
Judi Tomczik has been an educator for 35 years, most of that time in Shakopee School District 720. Her classroom background is in Language Arts and encompasses grades 5-12. For the past several years, she has been the High Potential Coordinator for Secondary Schools in Shakopee. As a local and national presenter and as an Assistant Professor in the St. Mary’s University graduate program, she has been a resource in subjects such as differentiation, assessment, brain research, learning styles, etc.
Amy VandenBerg is an Autism Resource Specialist and Special Services Coordinator in New Prague, Minnesota. Ms. VandenBerg completed her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. She received her Certification in Autism Spectrum Disorders and her Masters in Art of Education at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She also is pursuing her license as a Director of Special Education and a Principal. Ms. VandenBerg participates in identification, evaluation, and intervention procedures for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. She currently teaches early childhood special education social skills classes, consults on students who are pre-K age through middle school, provides professional development opportunities within her district, and coordinates services for Early Childhood Special Education and Elementary programs in the district.
Beth Verkinderen has taught at Eastview Elementary for 9 years. She has had the pleasure of teaching 6th, 5th, 2nd, and 3rd grade. She enjoys using creative ways that allow her students to enjoy the writing process.
Margaret Williams is the Math Recovery Leader and a math Intervention coach for the Anoka-Hennepin School District. She is also an adjunct for Hamline University providing professional development in Cognitively Guided Instruction.
Sue Zapf has been in the Lakeville School District for the past 26 years. For the first 15 years, she primarily taught Speech and Creative Writing at Lakeville North High School. In 2003, she attend Dr. Mel Levine’s Schools Attuned training in Chicago, and since that time, she has continued to apply those philosophies and techniques in her classroom. During the summer of 2006, she had the opportunity to be an assistant for Schools Attuned training in Plymouth, Minnesota. For the past 11 years, she has taught in the 8th and 9th graders in COMPASS program at Lakeville’s Area Learning Center.
During her thirty years in education, Susan Zukowski has taught in Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, and Germany. As a classroom teacher, she has worked with students in pre-school, and grades 1,3,4,5, and 6. As a special educator, Susan has worked with students ages 4-21 in hospital settings, self-contained classrooms, resource rooms, and inclusive settings. In addition, she has worked as an adjunct professor at the University of North Dakota, teaching classes in the areas of classroom management, introduction to Special Education, methods and materials for teaching students with learning disabilities and emotional disorders, behavior management, and consultation and collaboration.
Susan currently works as a special educator in Grades K-5 in the Grand Forks, North Dakota Public Schools. For the past 17 years her primary responsibilities have involved working with students with emotional and behavioral disorders and learning disabilities and supporting classroom teachers as they serve the needs of all of their students. Susan loves to share what she has learned from her students and her colleagues through presentations at various local, state, and national conferences.
Susan also teaches classes through Learner's Edge, Inc. Check out the many professional development opportunities at www.LearnersEdgeInc.com.