About Mrs. Butcher


This page is so you can get to know a few things about me. I look forward to getting to know all of the students that I will be teaching this year. 

    After exploring careers in business and working as an administrative assistant, office manager and accounting clerk. I realized I needed to be doing something with more meaning, that would help change the future and was not in a field where money was the major goal.
     I fully believe that our students need skills to keep our country and world running and advancing in technology and knowledge, and I believe that all students can learn. Beyond the required learning objectives, I like to focus many aspects of teaching and learning on thinking skills. If our students leave school only able to recite information they've stored than we've failed them. Middle school, especially 8th grade is by far my favorite age group to teach, yes they present unique challenges, as they attempt to find their own ways of living life and begin their quest for independence, but they truly are a great age to work with. 

It took me until I was well into my adult years with a family before I earned my Bachelor degree in teaching from U of M (Go BLUE!!!). Before that I had been working on an a degree in Accounting and Business Management at Baker.

College Degree Information:
  • Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education K-8 from University of Michigan - Flint
    • K-8 Michigan Teacher Certification
    • Endorsements: 
      • Mathematics (6-8)
      • Integrated Science (6-8) 
    • English Language Arts (6-8)

In the spring of 2011 I applied to the K-12 Administration and Leadership Master's program at Eastern Michigan University, I was accepted and began classes in July of 2011, I didn't want this degree to take me many years like my Bachelor degree had so I set a goal of 1 year to complete the program, including a 200 hour internship. I am happy to announce that I met that goal and on August 24, 2012 I graduated from EMU (Go EAGLES!!) with my Master's degree. 

  • Master of Arts in K-12 Administration and Leadership at Eastern Michigan University
    • Michigan K-12 School Administrator Certification



I would not have been able to reach that goal without the love and support of my terrific family. 

I have been married to my husband Michael for 13 years, we are partners in a plumbing and heating company that he mostly runs, I help out with the business paperwork and other business aspects when I can and when they need my help. 

We have two super wonderful children that I am so very proud of, Nicholas who is 12 and in 7th grade, and Emma who is 10 and in 5th grade. They both love to read and play basketball, Nicholas also plays baseball, Emma also plays softball and has played volleyball and soccer. 
      • The photos are from when they were 9 and 7
          
We also have three dogs Suzy (10 years) and Belle (7 years) and Izzy (5 months) that are very much a part of our family.

When I am not at school teaching my wonderful students I enjoy spending time with my family and friends.

I very much enjoy using technology. I think it is so cool that in just my life time we have gone from using 8 tracks to listen to music to iPods and other mp3 players, along with all the other great technologic devices that can be found. Some make our lives much easier, others we use to waste time with, but they are all pretty amazing. 

Just like my children, I love to read. I will frequently be reading several books at any given time. Usually I am reading whatever my children have chosen to read, what I have chosen to read and almost always something that is helping me be a better educator. I always try to read the books my children choose to read so we can discuss them, since I do not tend to censor what my children read I also like to read them to be sure the content is okay or so I can explain things they may not understand. 

When I do not know something I try to find it out. If it is something I find very interesting or useful I try to learn everything I can about it. Learning is such a wonderful thing to be able to do, the only thing I like to do better with my brain is think. 

Teaching is such a wonderful career, I will not get financially rich doing it, but that isn't why I chose it as my career. I set out each and every school year to do everything I can to make a difference in the lives of the students that come into my life, as well as those who keep finding their way back to me. I find it necessary to go above and beyond the standards I am expected to teach, to grow students in every way I can while they are in my class and beyond. If I can teach students to think and to find answers to questions, if I can teach students to want to be successful and to find hope where they may see none, if I can teach students humility, compassion, consideration and to be motivated to be the absolute best they can be. If I can teach students that it is okay to fail, because the only way to succeed is to try and if you are afraid to fail, you will not try. If I can teach students to believe in themselves and to know that they can make a difference in their own lives as well as in the world,then I have succeeded.I make it my mission every year to teach students those things right along side the standards that are mandated because without those things, no amount of knowledge will ever get them anywhere.