I am Mrs. Dury, a St. Louis area native, and a mom of three. I am a Girl Scout troop leader, and an aspiring La Leche League leader (in my free time). I am a veteran teacher of thirteen years, and this is my second year at Hazelwood Southeast Middle School. I have mainly taught seventh grade throughout my tenure of teaching, with one-year teaching at an alternative high school. In 2011, I was the teacher of the year, and I have been involved at each school I have taught by leading departments, writing curriculum, and facilitating student groups. I am tech-savvy and like to use technology in many aspects of teaching, including lessons, and communication. I have loved teaching seventh grade because I believe it is a year of great growth and maturity for students and getting to witness students grow and mature into independent young adults is amazing. I want the students who come through my room to know they are safe, cared about, and their education is protected. Therefore, I work to create a classroom environment that is welcoming, and where learning is a priority. Developing relationships are key to my classroom, including partnering with parents to help students achieve their full potential. I am an avid reader and have always loved books. I love traveling to other worlds and learning about different cultures without having to leave my couch. I have found that words are important, as it is the foundation for how we perceive the world and people around us. I became an ELA teacher because of my love or reading and words and wanted to pass that love onto other generations. As Roald Dahl once said, "I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn’t be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage.”