“Education is not the filling of the pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

                                                                                              -William Butler Yeats

Welcome to the 6th-8th classroom! We are a group of dedicated learners and active thinkers.  My passion for learning, a desire to help students be incredibly strong thinkers and for students to remain joyful in their learning are the driving forces behind my fifteen years of public school teaching at the secondary grade levels. I hold a BA in Education, a BS in Biology, an MA in Teaching and am a Nationally Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) and an NBCT Facilitator. My background in science, coupled with my experience in education, fuels an intense interest in the emerging field of neuro-education and its application to student learning.

Outside of class time, I enjoy life on my farm with my husband, three busy children and menagerie of animals.  Busy does not begin to describe my life, but being content in the garden, enjoying my family and relaxing with my horses certainly is a start.  When I think of Yeat’s quote above, I know a balance between home and school life gives me the oxygen necessary to keep my fire alive for education..

Mrs. Cruden

6th-8th Grade Teacher