Classical School Directory
Hi! Thanks for taking the time to read my biography. I am starting my 22nd year of teaching, 20 of those years at Classical. I have been at Classical since the doors opened and I am so proud of our school and love all that it stands for. I feel lucky to work in such an enriching educational environment with an administrator, staff and board who are committed to providing the just education that all children deserve. I am a native of our state capitol Madison, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1997 (Go Badgers!) I moved here when I married and together my husband and I have a son, Nathan who is a Classical graduate and is now in college. I miss Madison but am so happy that we were able to give our son the excellent education he received here at Classical.
In my free time I love to read and spend time with my family. I also like to walk, craft, spend time with friends and explore new places. I also love to visit historical sites around the country. I have been lucky enough to visit many places that I teach about in history which makes my teaching more enriching and interesting to the children. This summer I visited Washington, D.C. What a wonderful trip. I could have taught the entire 2nd grade history curriculum from the Smithsonian American History Museum. It is also known that I never leave a gift shop without a souvenir or two and D.C. was no exception. The children love to see “real” things from places they are learning about. In 22 years I have quite the collection!
Anyway, I am hoping you know a bit more about me and I will do my best to help your child have a great 2nd grade year. I love to laugh and that is usually quite evident to the children early on in the year. I also enjoy working closely with Mrs. Duesterhaus. We are both dedicated to adapting our curriculum so that the children are both engaged and excited about what they are learning. Below I have listed some of the reasons I love teaching 2nd grade.
Mrs. Campshure’s Top Ten Reasons I Love Teaching 2nd Grade
10. Reading Charlotte’s Web – every year someone cries (usually me!)
9. Teaching the kids the story of Francis Scott Key and The Star Spangled Banner – inspiring and most kids don’t know the origins of the song!
8. Teaching the Digestive System to the children – in what other job do you get to say “pee” and “poop” and get a laugh for it every time!
7. Teaching about Dolley Madison’s courage – yes kids she is a real person NOT just a donut maker!
6. Reading Little House on the Prairie to the kids during the westward expansion unit – every year Mr. Bomann and I vow to only read a few of the best chapters and every year we end up reading the whole thing!
5. Teaching about the Civil War. What a rich time period of our nation’s history and it is always fun to bring in artifacts from that period of time.
4. Teaching with Mrs. Duesterhaus. We love working together and share the same sense of humor.
3. Teaching about the Greek Gods. The 2nd graders are always fascinated by these myths and learn the differences between the major gods and goddesses. Many of these 2nd graders have gone on into the Mythology Club and have done very well on the national test.
2. Teaching about Women’s and Civil Rights. This is probably my favorite unit of the year. The children always connect so much to each and every person’s story and always produce very thoughtful writings and projects during this unit. It is a privilege to hold these hero’s stories in my hand and give them to the children, sometimes it is the first time they have heard them.
1. The kids of course! 2nd graders are so enthusiastic and willing to learn. They change so much from the beginning of the year until the end – mentally as well as physically. I always laugh at the end of the year when I look at their school pictures because they look so different. AND I love it that they still lose teeth and it’s usually still such a big deal to them! They are wonderful and make teaching so fun for me!