Message from Mrs. Sneed:
I am delighted to have the opportunity to learn and to teach for another school year. I mention learning because I, too, consider myself a student. I love researching new things. I like to read and spend hours doing so each week. As part of my passion for learning, I enjoy traveling and experiencing other cultures. I have visited Haiti, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, Spain, Canada and England. Incidentally, Haiti, where I've participated in a reforestation project, is my favorite destination. I hope to return soon.
I have been married for 27 years and have 4 rescued (not purchased) guinea pigs named Nugget, Love, Chicklet and Guinny (Guinevere), whom my husband and I adore. (My husband showers our guinea pigs with attention and calls them his babies.) I care deeply for animals so I eat vegan; that is, I don't eat any animals, cows' milk or eggs.
I also enjoy studying vegan nutrition. I am certified in Plant-Based Nutrition through eCornell and have taught weight-loss classes through the Peoria Park District. My weight-loss program is called Chapter 2. Last October I tabled at the Women's Lifestyle Show in Peoria and hope to do so again this year. I'm excited to have uploaded my YouTube presentation titled "Chapter 2: Lose Weight Without Hunger" through which I explain my entire weight-loss program in detail. I teach people how to lose weight without calorie restriction. I absolutely love eating a clean diet; it is life-transforming. I am part of a wonderful, growing community of people who are using plant-based nutrition to resolve both health and weight issues.
Recently I have been studying Spanish. I've hired tutors via Skype from Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia and Dominican Republic. My time for this is limited, but I hope to continue to increase my vocabulary. I look forward to teaching some basic Spanish to my students this school year.
This is my nineteenth year of teaching first grade. Before coming to Pleasant Hill School, I worked for nearly 10 years at South Side Mission. It was at South Side Mission that I first became interested in the field of education, as I directed a tutorial program there. My work at the Mission, which I enjoyed immensely, inspired me to return to college to pursue a degree in elementary education.
I have vivid memories of my first grade year. My family was very poor by U.S. standards. As a consequence of poverty, we moved frequently. In fact, we lived in 3 different states when I was in first grade: Ohio, Indiana and Missouri. While in Indiana, my dad lost the temporary job he had and, despite his best efforts, could not find other employment. I will never forget the generosity of my first grade teacher, Mrs. Maddox, who brought bags of groceries to us. Years later, while in college, I found Mrs. Maddox and thanked her for her kindness and for the influence she had in my life.
I feel so very lucky today to have this privilege of being a first grade teacher myself and of sharing my love for learning with a classroom full of children. I am certain that it is going to be another wonderful year!
I am delighted to have the opportunity to learn and to teach for another school year. I mention learning because I, too, consider myself a student. I love researching new things. I like to read and spend hours doing so each week. As part of my passion for learning, I enjoy traveling and experiencing other cultures. I have visited Haiti, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, Spain, Canada and England. Incidentally, Haiti, where I've participated in a reforestation project, is my favorite destination. I hope to return soon.
I have been married for 27 years and have 4 rescued (not purchased) guinea pigs named Nugget, Love, Chicklet and Guinny (Guinevere), whom my husband and I adore. (My husband showers our guinea pigs with attention and calls them his babies.) I care deeply for animals so I eat vegan; that is, I don't eat any animals, cows' milk or eggs.
I also enjoy studying vegan nutrition. I am certified in Plant-Based Nutrition through eCornell and have taught weight-loss classes through the Peoria Park District. My weight-loss program is called Chapter 2. Last October I tabled at the Women's Lifestyle Show in Peoria and hope to do so again this year. I'm excited to have uploaded my YouTube presentation titled "Chapter 2: Lose Weight Without Hunger" through which I explain my entire weight-loss program in detail. I teach people how to lose weight without calorie restriction. I absolutely love eating a clean diet; it is life-transforming. I am part of a wonderful, growing community of people who are using plant-based nutrition to resolve both health and weight issues.
Recently I have been studying Spanish. I've hired tutors via Skype from Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia and Dominican Republic. My time for this is limited, but I hope to continue to increase my vocabulary. I look forward to teaching some basic Spanish to my students this school year.
This is my nineteenth year of teaching first grade. Before coming to Pleasant Hill School, I worked for nearly 10 years at South Side Mission. It was at South Side Mission that I first became interested in the field of education, as I directed a tutorial program there. My work at the Mission, which I enjoyed immensely, inspired me to return to college to pursue a degree in elementary education.
I have vivid memories of my first grade year. My family was very poor by U.S. standards. As a consequence of poverty, we moved frequently. In fact, we lived in 3 different states when I was in first grade: Ohio, Indiana and Missouri. While in Indiana, my dad lost the temporary job he had and, despite his best efforts, could not find other employment. I will never forget the generosity of my first grade teacher, Mrs. Maddox, who brought bags of groceries to us. Years later, while in college, I found Mrs. Maddox and thanked her for her kindness and for the influence she had in my life.
I feel so very lucky today to have this privilege of being a first grade teacher myself and of sharing my love for learning with a classroom full of children. I am certain that it is going to be another wonderful year!