Welcome to Ms. Ellison's website! Follow the link to your class above where you will find the weekly lesson plans and other helpful resources.
Who I Am: Ms. Kristen Ellison
Education: I graduated from Grand Valley State University in December of 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in English for Secondary Education and Minors in both History and Theatre. I plan on beginning my Masters program in the summer of 2009.
Family: My immediate family consists of my parents, Ken and Jean, and my younger sister, Jill, who is also attending Grand Valley State University. She is currently a Junior majoring in Therapeutic Recreation. I also have a dog named Roxy.
Hobbies: I love to always be doing something. I really enjoy outdoor activities like backpacking, camping, and hiking and staying healthy by exercising and playing sports. I love to ride my bike, swim, and dance, but I have a love/hate relationship with running! For less active times of my life, I enjoy reading and writing, cooking, or going to the theatre and cinema. In the fall, the hobby that takes up the most of my time is watching football and playing Fantasy Football.
Favorites: My favorite foods are pizza and chocolate chip cookies. But not together! My favorite color is green and my favorite television show is The Office on NBC. I have too many favorite books and movies to list so if you want to ask me, I hope you've got plenty of time!
Goals and Teaching Philosophy: One of my major goals is for my students to become readers and writers. To communicate effectively is a necessity in our world and as human beings, I believe we are a "story culture." By this, I mean that stories (whether novels, historical narratives, scientific discoveries, anecdotes) define us and give us our identity. We must explore our own stories through writing and others' stories through reading in order to gain an understanding of our world and how we fit in it. I also believe in active learning through Service Learning experiences in the community. I think every student has the opportunity to be successful if they have support and make good choices. As a teacher, I try to offer student's both CHOICE and VOICE in what they learn to make learning real, immediate, satisfying, and, most importantly, lasting.
Any other questions? Just ask!