Our Faculty and Staff

I enjoy listening to and collaborating with students, teachers and parents to find more opportunities for students and help the school continue to improve. I have been a parent, teacher, assistant principal and principal during my 17 years at Burris Laboratory School.

I have been a classroom teacher for 16 years and have been with Burris since 2008. My education research interests include secondary education curriculum and instruction with emphasis in project-based learning and student-centered activities; stakeholder and community involvement in schools; professional development as adult learning; student ambassadors and school discipline.

I received my Bachelor’s Degree from Ball State University in fall of 2016. I am currently seeking my Master’s Degree in Education through Ball State University. I am so thankful to work at Burris and be a part of the Burris family. Working at Burris has encouraged me to follow my true passion to be an elementary teacher. I will graduate from Ball State next year and want to be a kindergarten or first grade teacher.

I became a member of the Burris family in 1998. My mission is to offer a variety of opportunities for our students to develop athletically, mentally and academically through sports, activities and clubs.

My goal as the Burris Library Coordinator is to provide a friendly, encouraging and informative library experience for our students, plus striving to provide updated materials that support our teacher’s curriculum. I have been at Burris nearly 22 years. I am the school Notary and an Indiana Certified Librarian.  I am a member of the Indiana State Literacy Association, American Library Association and National Notary Association. I feel very honored to be on the staff of one of the best schools in Indiana!

I have taught high school social studies for 15 years.  Since 2005, I have taught Economics, U.S. Government, and U.S. History at Burris.  I enjoy giving students hands-on experiences through field trips.

I started in health care in 1996 and became a nurse in 2002.  I have worked at IUBMH in critical care, progressive care unit, medical/stroke unit, outpatient dialysis, served on the hazmat team and worked pediatric triage for a pediatric office.  I have been a Burris parent since 2000 and started on staff in the health clinic in 2013.

I am an Indiana licensed K-12 physical education, health and high ability teacher. I am a Nationally Certified Adaptive Physical Education educator. I seek opportunities to grow as a teacher and have demonstrated leadership in my profession by being a past President of the Indiana Society of Health and Physical Education.  I am a recipient of the 2018 Walter Daly Excellence in Teaching Award.

A native of Muncie, I received both my BS and MA from Ball State. My affiliation with Burris has encompassed many years teaching, as well as travel experiences with students locally, regionally and in Europe and Japan.  I believe a caring attitude, welcoming rapport, and genuine interest in the student, as a whole, promotes a positive view of academics for educational growth and development as well as aiding the child’s social and emotional well-being.

I earned my BS in Secondary Science Education, with a primary focus in Physics, and my MA in Athletic Coaching Education at Ball State University. I have been teaching at Burris since August 2002 and I am the current Varsity Volleyball Head Coach. Burris is a great educational opportunity for learners and instructors alike, providing an exceptional life-long holistic experience.

I have worked at Burris for a total of 11 years. My current role is Title 1 Instructor, which means that I work with struggling students in reading and math.

I have eleven years of experience implementing special education services for students who need mild interventions. I taught at Eastview Elementary in Connersville, Indiana and R.J. Baskett Middle School in Gas City, Indiana before starting at Burris in 2015. I believe in offering a wide variety of research-based curriculum, instructional settings, and support services to help each individual reach his or her full potential.

I have taught many students with a wide range of special needs. I believe that every student has the potential to learn and succeed and I enjoy helping my students on their journey to success.

I teach both Health and Physical Education from a wellness standpoint emphasizing the whole person. I currently coach Volleyball (assistant), Ladies Basketball, and Track and Field.

I have been an elementary educator for 19 years with experience in second and third grades. I have an undergraduate degree from Indiana University and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Ball State.

Books and technology are my passion. I believe that when students are given the ability to explore what is of interest to them in a structured but open classroom, the sky is the limit!

I am a graduate of Indiana State University with B.A. in Music Education. I have been an educator for 18 years and have taught Choral, Band, Orchestra and Elementary classes in my tenure. I enjoy playing piano professionally in different bands in Central Indiana and am grateful for my wife of 10 years, Tiffany, and my daughter Viola. I believe that embracing music will create a lifelong joy and discipline in all facets of life.

I have taught 5th grade for seventeen years. In my classroom, students “own their own learning” by engaging in hands-on experiences as often as possible.

I love teaching middle school language arts. I am licensed in English, Speech Communication, Theater, and High Ability Education. I am pursuing a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Educational Technology. My professional interests include project based learning, high ability education, curriculum writing and development, instructional coaching and staff development, and school culture.

This is my fifth year teaching at Burris. I love working with all of the Burris students and I probably enjoy the adventures that we go on the most. Seeing students in different environments such as Camp Crosley, Japan, Conner Prairie, the statehouse, or even at events on campus reminds me how special our school is.  Burris is an example of education in action and I am so proud to be a part of that.

I have completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, both in Speech-Language Pathology, at Ball State University. I began working at Burris in 2016. My job as the speech-language pathologist at Burris is so rewarding!  I thoroughly enjoy getting to know my students on an individual and small group basis. I love to see my students gain confidence when they are able to communicate more effectively as we work together to improve their speech and language skills.

Since joining the Burris Faculty in 2014 as a member of the Mathematics Department, I have loved being in an environment where students and faculty support and encourage each other through both struggles and successes! Some of my most rewarding experiences in teaching have been watching students push through their mental block when it comes to understanding mathematical concepts. It is a privilege to be a part of the moment when a student realizes they can put into practice the skills we have learned together to solve what used to be an unsolvable problem, building confidence in their own abilities.

I have taught Social Studies to grades 7-12 for 12 years; this is my third at Burris Laboratory School. I enjoy reading mysteries and history books, traveling and spending time with my husband, Nick and two children, Vivian, 9 and Henry, 5.

I have been a teacher at Burris since August 1999. I believe it is important for students to be able to construct their knowledge about mathematics.

My students are rewarded for effort, process, and progress and not correctness, and are encouraged to aspire to understand versus being understood. The Spanish language and culture instruction aims to affect the learner to progress from being a local citizen to that of a self-actualized, global, bilingual citizen who is empathetic to other cultures, races, genders, religions, economic inequality, and political perspectives beyond the local environment.

I received both my undergraduate and graduate degrees from Ball State University. I have been teaching for 20 years.  In that time, I have taught first grade, third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade. In addition, I have been a primary grade intervention teacher.

I have been teaching visual arts for 18 years. I am honored to teach students from grades K-12 visual communication and to work closely with the David Owsley Museum of Art.

I have a variety of teaching experiences from rural to urban, from small town advanced placement to city alternative schools. One thing all students have in common is the desire to be cared for. This premise is always in the forefront of my mind.