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About Linda Griffin...
I was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, where I lived until I was 16. My father was a machinist, but left to go into business for himself when he purchased a restaurant in DeKalb, Illinois. I learned to do every job imaginable in a restaurant during my teenage years, from running the dishwasher to doing the book work.
When I first pursued higher education, it was not to become an educator, but rather in the area of biology. I spent many years pursuing a degree in Medical Technology and worked in a hospital as a laboratory technician. I left to be married shortly before I completed my degree.
I returned to Rockford twenty-one years later, to raise my two children here. My children, Alex, 20, and Kate, 18, are both currently attending college. My interest in teaching began when they were in preschool. As they progressed to elementary school, I spent many hours there volunteering and as PTO president. I was asked to replace a member of our school board who was moving, and became even more interested in the many facets of education, so I returned to Rockford College to pursue a degree.
I found myself a middle school teacher quite by accident. As with all graduating teachers, I was looking for a job. My current job at West Middle School had been advertised multiple times with no success. I had the qualifications necessary for the job, but wasn't sure I wanted to try middle school. The director of the gifted program knew me and knew I was qualified for the position. She challenged me to try it for one year and I was hooked. I found I loved the quirky wit of middle school students. At the end of my first year, I was asked to develop a new, hands-on curriculum for basic chemistry and physics. I found I really enjoyed it and and have been teaching there for seven years now. For the past five years, I have organized an end of the year physics trip for interested students to Florida called Starquest. It has been a tremendous success. My students and I have enjoyed these trips very much. My son has helped me organize these trips and has helped has a chaperone.
Eventually, I was provided with several computers for my classroom, but little training on how to use them to enhance the curriculum. I sought training and became very interested in technology. When I looked for a Master's program, I found the Master's Program in Curriculum, Technology, and Education Reform (CTER) at the University of Illinois, and have been pursuing that degree the past two years. I have learned incredible new skills and have been putting them to use in my classroom and with the team of teachers I work with. I have created a team web site and I am working on one for West Middle School.
While pursuing this degree, my other interests have been set aside temporarily, but I'm looking forward to getting back to them. When I have time, I can be found in my gardens, which I enjoy immensely. I also love to sit on the screen porch in the summer and read the books that have piled up during the year, while listening to all different genres of music. Traveling is another passion of mine. I love to plan trips for my family and luckily my two children love to travel also. We have been all over the country and spend our winter hours researching our summer trips. I also love visiting friends and spending time trying new recipes.
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Created by Linda Griffin
Last updated 05/09/2003