The First 180 Days
Laurie Stenehjem's Notebook

Laurie began her teaching career in Melbourne, Australia, where she taught for two years. After returning to North Dakota, she and her husband taught on the Fort Berthold Reservation and in several small towns in North Dakota. During that time, she had the opportunity to teach in several different content areas, including home economics, English, science, and vocational special needs.

After moving to Grand Forks in 1989, Laurie taught life skills (family and consumer sciences) to seventh and eighth graders at Valley Junior High. "In 1995," Laurie said, "Valley Junior High became Valley Middle School, with a corresponding change in organization and philosophy."

Two years ago, Grand Forks and the University of North Dakota started the Resident Teacher Program, and Laurie became the resident mentor at Valley Middle. As part of that job, she also teaches the Exploring Teaching class at the University of North Dakota and supervises student teachers for UND.

"What a wonderful experience this has been!" Laurie told Education World. "I've been fortunate to work with nine outstanding first-year teachers; the opportunity to watch them bloom and grow in this profession has been inspiring. I love to read about, learn about, and talk about teaching and learning."

Laurie and her husband, a principal at a Grand Forks high school, have three sons.

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Article by Laurie Stenehjem Education World®
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