Hi! My name is Brittany.
A few things you should know about me…
I grew up in a small town in Ohio and most recently moved back home to teach 8th grade science at my Alma Mater. I spent the previous five years in in a suburb of Houston teaching biology. My husband and I heard our small town roots calling us back home to raise our small family and finally made that transition in the fall of 2014.
Rocket Class of ’08
I spent my undergrad years at The University of Toledo, where I majored in Life Science Education for grades 8-12. I was given many unique opportunities during my time at Toledo. From the educational standpoint, I was accepted into a program called UT3 (UToledo. UTeach. UTouch the Future). UT3 was the only program in Northwest Ohio that recruited, prepared, and supported science and mathematics teachers to teach specifically in high need schools, where there is a nationwide shortage of qualified teachers. UT3 also offered students academic, financial, and professional support, which provided me with the foundation to become an exemplary teacher. Also of major significance in my time at Toledo was my involvement with Toledo's Varsity Swimming and Diving Team. For those of you who know anything about swimming I was a sprint freestyler. It was in the pool where I learned a great deal about myself, how to overcome obstacles and built friendships with my teammates that will last a lifetime.
Spartan Class of ’15
To me, it is necessary to instil a knowledge of how to appropriately use technology within our 21st century students in order to better prepare them for their endeavors after high school. It was this belief that brought me to Michigan State University where I enrolled in the Masters of Arts in Educational Technology program. Through this program I have learned how to further integrate technology into my classroom instruction to help students become more literate in basic technology skills as well as be able to synthesize and create new information using that technology.
Teaching Experiences
My first teaching experience came while teaching biology in Texas. This experience opened my eyes to the various cultures and ideals that I found in my student population. These students were a very different demographic than I dealt with growing up and in college. Over those five years teaching biology, I have changed my views on education and teaching strategies to best fit the needs of my students. My students came from all different backgrounds and their attitudes on education ranged from wanting to get an “A” in biology to being court ordered to attend school. I learned so much about life from these students and became passionate about modifying my teaching strategies to not only make biology relevant to them, but to also help them be better prepared for life when they exited my classroom.
More recently, I have made the trek across the country to my hometown in Ohio and am now teaching 8th grade science. While this has been a huge change in scenery and my school demographics, I have enjoyed being able to be an educator in the school system that is largely responsible for helping me develop into the educator I am today.
My Family: Brandon, Brittany, Luke
After graduating from The University of Toledo, I married my high school sweetheart, Brandon. Together we decided that we needed a little more adventure in our lives and therefore found ourselves in Texas. A pretty huge move, both professionally and personally . Professionally, we both were given opportunities to teach and coach at Dickinson High School, our first real jobs after college. Another huge transition for us came when Brandon and I decided to start a family and we welcomed baby Luke Donald Schroeder into our arms in August of 2012. This little guy has turned our world upside down but we have loved every minute of it. He is pretty much the cutest kid ever and I have enjoyed the new role of being his mom. As we transitioned from a couple into a family, we decided to move back to Ohio to be closer with our own families. With this move also came the exciting news that we will be expanding our family once again with the addition of our second son. I thank God every day for my family and this blessed life I live.
Rocket Senior Swimmers and Divers
Left: My biology classroom at Dickinson High School.
Right: My 8th grade science classroom at Wauseon Middle School.
Coaching
Swimming has been a huge part of my life from the time I dove into the water at my very first swim meet at 8th years old. In my adult life, the sport has given me the chance to coach both high school and summer league teams where I developed relationships with athletes ranging in age from 5-18. It was on the pool deck that I was not only able to instil the same love for the sport that I have, but also teach them many of the foundational skills that swimming had imparted in myself.
