About Teacher Help Files

Hey there. I’m Anna, and I’m glad you’re here. I’m a teacher just like you, and I thought I’d start by sharing a bit about myself.  At my core, I’m an athlete, a coach, a teacher, and a mom—often juggling all four at the same time.

I grew up playing basketball and volleyball and was fortunate to continue my volleyball career at Clemson University on a full scholarship, where I majored in Behavioral Science. After college, I stayed on the East Coast coaching and recruiting collegiate volleyball players at Western Carolina University before eventually heading back to the Midwest to coach at Iowa Western and College of Saint Mary. I loved college coaching, but the lifestyle was unpredictable, and I knew I wanted to put down roots and build something long-term.

That brought me home to the same city where I grew up, competed, and won my own state championships. It’s the city I still love and the place I’ve chosen to raise my family. I earned a teaching position at the same school where I was coaching and went back to school through an intense program that meant classes every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for an entire year (yes, every Saturday). During the week, I worked as a special education para and coached high school volleyball. I eventually completed a Master’s-level degree with teaching endorsements in 7–12 Health & Physical Education and Social Sciences.

Fast forward about 15 years, and I’m still here—teaching high school Health and PE, mostly freshmen, and loving it. Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to create and refine my own curriculum. In the gym, that means modifying games, inventing new ones, and designing workouts that are challenging but actually fun. One of my favorite compliments is when students tell me they don’t dread coming to PE and appreciate the light-hearted, welcoming environment in both the gym and the classroom.