Sheila’s Story

As a first grader, Sheila Orr informed her parents that she was going to become a teacher. As an undergraduate student at Michigan State University, Sheila “wanted to do something that would positively impact the world.” As she reflected on the people who have had the greatest influence on her life, she realized that most of them were teachers. For Sheila, teaching is a perfect career path that combines her love of helping others with her hope of positively affecting the lives of those around her.

The DeWitt High School graduate has helped coordinate Literacy Alive, an East Lansing, Mich., program which promotes literacy in schools. A recipient of The Robert Noyce Scholarship and The Girl Scout Gold Award, Sheila hopes that the KSTF Fellowship will provide her “with opportunities, through professional development, to learn about new things that will affect the learning of my students. This is critically important since I believe all students are learners.”

Knowles Academy Courses Taught

Designing Instructional Tasks to Increase Student Engagement and Learning in Math
PBL: Project-Based Learning for Rigorous Math & Science Instruction