Sheila Anderson

I began my teaching career in 1972 after graduating from Moorhead State University in just 3 years. My first job was on an Indian reservation, where I thought I could save the world, but after one year I realized they did not want to be saved, at least by me. I came home and started teaching English, and I just never quit. Over my 35-year career, I taught middle school English and language arts, focusing on test-taking skills to help students in low-poverty schools prepare for state tests. I worked those kids hard, and it was great. I also taught 10th grade English at Osseo Senior High, where I eventually became an instructional coach. One of my proudest accomplishments was serving as literacy coordinator at Brooklyn Junior High, where I went into all the classrooms teaching students how to read content area materials in subjects like social studies and math. Teachers would tell me they wished they'd known these strategies a long time ago because it made their jobs so much easier. I taught students what to look for as they're reading and how to understand the difference between inferential and literal questions. My husband and I also taught for 3 years in Kuwait before the fighting started in Syria, and we came back home. Throughout my career, I created programs and materials for our district and received awards for my work. What I loved most about teaching was my students and their connection with literature and me, especially the 10th graders, as well as my relationships with colleagues. The middle school kids' spontaneity was wonderful - they got excited about things, though they also got aggravated if they had trouble with something. I loved every minute of my 35 years in education.