Mrs. Julie Sprague 

Team Awesome 7th ELA

julie.sprague@dvusd.org

This year will again be unique. I will do everything I can to help each student grow in their learning and feel safe.

I have been teaching young adolescents since 1983 in four different states (AZ, MN, MI, and IL) in all core subject areas, bible, art, drama, and music. I recently completed an update of the PEAK/EVEREST curriculum for the young adult author, Roland Smith, check out the website www.rolandsmith.com and other publishers of young adolescent literature. I worked for 15 years as an associate professor with Walden University in their Middle-Level Masters Program.  I have a B.A. in Elementary Education and a M.S. degree from Central Michigan University in Middle Grades Education.  I also completed curriculum and skill activities for Danna Evans with All Things EQ.

I love teaching 7th and 8th grade students English Language Arts in a highly effective, integrated team. I love my team!! 

I love water-color painting and am currently working on the third book in a series for my three grandkids.

My husband, Gary, taught music for many years at the university level and is a pianist, carpenter, and avid golfer. He is the Curriculum Manager for Grand Canyon University. We both love any type of theatre. Our daughter Sarah, 42, works in finance and our son John Benjamini, 36, works for Fast Enterprises in Concord, New Hampshire and is celebrating eleven years of marriage to Brittany, a stay-at-home-mom and an amazing home school teacher and cut flower business owner, Mamabees.

We are proud grandparents!  We have a granddaughter that already loves books, math and wants to be a conservationist.  Her name is Eowyn pronounced A-O-Wyn.  She is named after the warrior princess in Lord of the Rings Trilogy. We also have a grandson,  John Elias (fifth generation John___________) . He loves anything sports and out of doors, especially examining new creatures! And another grandson, Rowan Benjamin who loves games and anything his sister and brother are into . We were able to visit this past summer and had a wonderful all family vacation in Maine.

I love animals, any type and our family always visits zoos wherever we go.  The zoo in Helsinki, Finland is the most interesting as we were able to see many snow leopards, all the animals that turn white in the winter, and most notably an entire herd of reindeer. Of course, pigs are my favorite animals for those of you who know me already).

I come from a very long line of educators; almost my entire family have been or are currently educators.  My mom and aunt are here in AZ and enjoy helping me talk out my instruction.

My favorite memory as a teacher: The day three eighth grade boys went to the principal because they wanted 20 more minutes of English class.

My favorite student memory: The day of the mock trial when I was the defense attorney and won the case!! We later found out that the defendant was guilty. :)

Just one more: A senior drama student who I had for English in both 7th and 8th grade wrote this sentiment after the year's fall musical, "Mrs. Sprague, I love you, because you don't just teach about English or theatre, you teach about life." I am so very tickled to share with you that she is a Middle School Teacher in D.C.