During my life, I have always been creating something, whether it be music, art, websites, writing, or materials for learning. 

Instructional design allows me to meld my love of helping others learn with the learning and training goals for various businesses.  Every day is something new, and I love feeling like I am creating something connected to a bigger purpose — the “greater good,” if you will.   I enjoy the process of taking a topic that may or may not be familiar to me and making it useful and effective for the learner.  As a high school teacher, I had a grammar class that I taught for many years; trying to make grammar accessible, understandable, and (here’s the toughest part!) interesting was a yearly challenge for me, but I found that I not only enjoyed but also excelled in making learning “digestible.” 

As an instructional designer, I love the needs analysis stage because not only am I learning something new, but I am thinking about how best to create learning that sticks.  The development process speaks to my creative side, and I am always thinking about how to use interactivity to create interest in the learning topic.   Enjoying the learning process is what brought me into teaching originally, and it is that same enjoyment that brought me into the world of instructional design.  

When I am not working, I enjoy sipping coffee by the pond that I hand dug years ago (pictured above).  The pond is my refuge from chaos and the place where I do my best thinking.  Every summer, my quest is to buy enough flowers and plants to create a serene little corner where I can ponder the day’s events and plan future adventures.

On weekends, you can most likely find me on the road somewhere with my husband as he travels the country drumming with his tribute band.  My hobby of photography lends itself useful to these weekend gigs, as I entertain myself during the shows by taking pictures of the event.  Below is a sample of the kind of photography I do.  I love being able to capture the excitement of a moment.