New Teachers - Lovell

Allison Howe

What and where do you teach and/or coach?

I am a paraprofessional at Lovell Elementary, where I support students and teachers in the classroom. 

What is your background? Where are you from? What is your professional experience?

I am from Raynham, Massachusetts. I have been a licensed massage therapist for the past 20 years. My career as a massage therapist has taught me the importance of listening, patience, communication, building trust and understanding that every person has different needs. I am excited to bring those skills into my new role as a paraprofessional. I also have experience working with children through coaching and being involved in my own children’s activities.

Tell us about your family. 

I am a mom to three amazing children, who I enjoy spending time with and being involved in their activities. We also have a Boxer who is a much-loved part of our family.

Why did you get into education as a profession, and what do you like the most about teaching?

I have always enjoyed working with children and watching them learn and grow, and becoming a paraprofessional gives me the opportunity to make a positive difference in their lives. What I enjoy most is seeing students gain confidence and experience those moments when they realize they are capable of something they thought was difficult.

What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe every student is capable of learning and growing when they feel supported, valued and encouraged. I believe in being patient, listening to their individual needs and meeting students where they are. I want students to feel safe making mistakes, trying again and celebrating their successes.

What are you most looking forward to in this school year?

I am most looking forward to getting to know the students, building positive relationships and learning how I can best support each student. I am excited to learn from the teachers and staff around me, grow in my new role and make a positive difference in the lives of the students I work with.

Emily Olsen 

College: University of Wyoming 

What and where do you teach and/or coach?

Special education para at Lovell Elementary 

 What is your background? Where are you from? What is your professional experience?  

My family has lived in Lovell for over seven years. We’ve also lived in California, Colorado, Utah and elsewhere in Wyoming. I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and my husband is the archaeologist for the Big Horn Canyon.

Over the last several years I’ve worked as a substitute teacher in all three Lovell schools, as well as a teacher at Pups Club. 

 Tell us about your family. 

My husband and I have four children: Rurik, Aren, Linnea and Eina. We love to play board games, read and go on adventures each summer to different national parks. 

 Why did you get into education as a profession, and what do you like the most about teaching? 

After spending time as a stay-at-home mom raising my children, I started back to work as a Pups Club teacher. While taking care of home and kids, I went back to school to earn my bachelor’s. I chose psychology, not only because I enjoyed it but also because it was available fully online.

From there, I got certified as a substitute teacher. After serving two long-term sub jobs in the special education department, I discovered I really enjoyed working with the kids. This last year many positions came available, and I figured it was a great opportunity for me to apply. 

What is your teaching philosophy? How do you get the most out of students and inspire them to learn?

I believe that every child is important. They all deserve to be cared for and to have the right to an education. I strive to help each child feel they are capable and reinforce the structure and boundaries that are already in place. Children learn best when there is stability, predictability and routine. 

What are you most looking forward to this school year? 

I enjoy seeing how the kids progress over time. It is so rewarding to see a kid who has struggled with an aspect in school to get to the point where it’s no longer a struggle. 

Aimee Crosby

College: University of Wyoming

What and where do you teach and/or coach?

Language arts at Lovell Middle School

What is your background? Where are you from? What is your professional experience?

I grew up in Rock Springs. I have lived in Wyoming my entire life. I moved to Lovell with my family seven years ago. I taught first grade for two years, 20 years ago, in Laramie. I have spent the last 20 years teaching and raising my own kids. 

Tell us about your family.

I am married to Nicc Crosby. We have four kids: Davin (serving a mission in Santiago, Chile), Kyson (a junior), Jamen (a seventh grader), Brynlee (a fourth grader) and our bonus child, Chase, who is our nephew and is attending barber school.  We have two dogs, Buddy and Afton. We like to spend lots of time watching sports, especially ones our kids are participating in. We enjoy traveling to explore new places. We love to spend time on the mountain doing just about anything: 4 wheeling, camping, fishing, paddle boarding, skiing.

Why did you get into education as a profession, and what do you like the most about teaching?

I loved school when I was growing up and had some pretty great teachers that inspired me. I wanted to be a teacher because I love helping students learn and grow and really wanted to be just like those few teachers that were so good for me. The thing I like most about teaching is seeing the light bulb moment students have when something makes sense. It is also great to be able to look back at the end of the year and see how much growth they have genuinely made. 

What is your teaching philosophy? How do you get the most out of students and inspire them to learn?

We have a classroom of individuals we are teaching, and our direction and instruction needs to be tailored to all of those individual kiddos. When learning is tailored to the individual students, they can make meaningful connections and learning will stick.

I think to get the most out of students I need to spark not only their interests but some intrinsic motivation, making learning meaningful and worthwhile. I need to make learning, whatever it is, personal and relevant to where the students are in their own lives. We will celebrate small wins. Those daily “aha moments” are what future learning is built upon. We will not focus on what we can’t do but the fact that we can’t yet. We will build a community with relationships that focus on respect for each other and ourselves.

What are you most looking forward to this school year?

I am really just so excited to be back in the classroom. I look forward to teaching language arts because reading and writing have always been my favorite things to teach. I’m also very excited to be at the middle school and learn from the great teachers I get to work alongside. 

Natalie Collins

Editor’s note: Rather than answer the Chronicle’s questionnaire question by question, Natalie Collins submitted the following statement about her new position at Lovell Elementary School:

I am very excited to start my new job as a Special Education Paraeducator at Lovell Elementary. Being able to work with kids in the community where I grew up is very special to me, and I am looking forward to getting to know my students and helping them throughout the school year.

I was born and raised in Lovell. After graduating from high school, I attended the University of Wyoming and received my bachelor’s degree in finance. After college, I worked for Mountain West Farm Bureau in their marketing department as a marketing specialist and designer. After my husband, Kieley Collins, finished pharmacy school, we moved back to Lovell in 2010.

We have four children, Kira and Kindle, who are 18, Kashlyn, who is 12, and Keyan, who is 7. Being a mom has taught me so much about patience, compassion and understanding. I think being a mom has helped me develop many of the characteristics that will help me become a better paraeducator and work with children.

I have also spent a lot of time working with kids through volleyball. I am starting my third year as an assistant volleyball coach at Lovell High School. I have also been involved with starting our local club volleyball program, the Rose City Netters, and have coached club volleyball for the past seven years.

Coaching has given me a lot of experience working with kids with different personalities, abilities and learning styles. It has taught me that every child is different and that you have to find what works best for each individual child. I have learned that sometimes kids just need someone to believe in them and encourage them.

I decided to get into education because I really enjoy working with young kids. I have a lot of patience, and I enjoy seeing the good in all children. I love watching kids learn, grow and become more confident in themselves. I feel like I can make a difference by helping them grow and learn each day.

My teaching philosophy is to meet each child where they are and help them from there. I believe every child has strengths, even if those strengths may not always be easy to see. I want my students to feel safe, cared for and supported. I think when kids know that you care about them and believe in them, they are more willing to try and learn.

I think the best way to get the most out of students is to build a relationship with them and learn what motivates them. I want to encourage them, celebrate their successes and remind them that it is OK to make mistakes. I want them to know that struggling with something doesn’t mean they can’t do it. Sometimes they just need a little more time, patience or encouragement.

What I like most about working with kids is seeing their growth. It could be something big or something very small, but seeing a child learn something new or accomplish something they have been working toward is very rewarding. I feel like I can make a difference in their lives, and at the same time, working with kids gives me an opportunity to grow and learn as a person and build my own character.

Outside of school and volleyball, I enjoy gardening. Over the last couple of years, I have really expanded my love of growing dahlias and started my own small flower business, Big Horn Basin Blooms. I enjoy watching something start from a small seed or tuber and grow into something beautiful. I think there are a lot of similarities between gardening and working with kids because both take patience, time, care and encouragement.

I am most looking forward to getting to know my students and being part of the Lovell Elementary School community. I am excited to learn from the other teachers and staff and to find the best ways I can help my students. I am looking forward to watching them grow throughout the school year and hopefully being someone who makes a positive difference in their lives.

I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with children in the community where I was born and raised. I am excited for this new chapter and all that I will learn along the way.