Spring Grove Public Schools is excited to welcome five new teachers to its faculty this year. Each brings a wealth of experience, enthusiasm, and fresh perspectives to the classroom.
Riley is the new seventh and eighth-grade social studies teacher, and he also teaches Introduction to Psychology for high school students and a careers class for seventh graders. Additionally, he serves as an advisor for the senior class trip and assists the seniors with the concession stand.
Originally from La Crescent, Minn., Riley graduated from Luther College in Decorah where he studied history and education. He spent the past two years teaching up by the Twin Cities. In his free time, he enjoys kayaking, but also embraces his “avid indoors man” side, reading various books.
“On top of teaching social studies, I also like to develop students’ soft skills, from writing to deep reading to reading cross multiple articles to find the best one for what’s being asked,” Riley explained. “I am really trying to work with students on skills that don’t just work in social studies but work everywhere else as well.”
Lueschen grew up in Lakeville, Minn. His mom encouraged him to take piano lessons, which he enjoyed, leading him to become more involved in music. He knew that he wanted to help people and be a teacher. By the end of high school, he knew that he wanted to be a band teacher. In 2022 he graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead. He taught for two years at Renville before coming to Spring Grove where he is the K-12 instrumental music teacher.
“I want to help people learn music, which is different than teaching them music. It is more about having them know the skills to teach themselves. If you don’t know this note, how can you find it? You can ask me but with 50 people in the room you really can’t ask me. Hopefully they get the tools. So, I’m not just telling them what to do; I’m helping them learn how to do it,” explained Lueschen.
In his free time, Lueschen enjoys golfing and going to the lake with his family. He is fine with watching TV, especially football on Sunday, hockey during its season, and baseball when that season arrives.
Lueschen wants his students to leave school with the necessary skills to play music and to have experiences that they can draw on. Additionally, it is cool if they can continue with what they learned in school, especially if he has a hand in it.
Anderson, a 2016 graduate of Spring Grove, is thrilled to return to her alma mater as a teacher. With both her mom and sister working at the school, she feels a strong connection to the school. She earned her degree in elementary education with a minor in mid-level social studies from Winona State in 2020. Her first teaching experience was as a long-term substitute teacher at Spring Grove during COVID, and for the past three years, she has taught at Lanesboro.
Anderson is teaching a multi-age class for third and fourth graders. With a smile, she noted, “I value a strong classroom environment where students feel safe and important. Classroom community is key to our success and growth throughout the school year. When we trust and respect each other we can do so many amazing things.”
Outside of the classroom, Anderson enjoys watching and playing sports, particularly volleyball. She is also the junior high volleyball coach at Spring Grove, which she finds to be a lot of fun. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
“I want to make a lasting impact on my students that they will have forever,” she shared. Looking ahead, Anderson hopes to move into an administrative role or become a college professor.
Schroeder grew up in La Crosse with four siblings, most of whom are teachers in some form. She attended Luther High School and graduated from Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minn., in 2002. First, she was the preschool teacher and director in Libertyville, Ill., and later taught fourth grade in La Crosse before teaching at St. John’s in Caledonia, where she spent a couple of years teaching preschool. Additionally, she frequently substituted in Caledonia, Spring Grove and Houston.
Schroeder is teaching middle and high school science, along with a seventh grade math class at Spring Grove. She’s also helping a chemistry teacher from Caledonia who streams lessons. Schroeder has the supplies ready and assists the teacher.
Schroeder is married and has four children. “I love to spend time with my family. We like to play kickball, football, and bike ride. We love sports – Go Packers and Brewers! Sorry Minnesota.”
Her teaching philosophy is simple, “Anybody can learn, and it doesn’t matter how long it takes.”
As for her long-term goals, Schroeder aims to develop a more engaging curriculum that emphasizes hands-on lab experiences to better connect with her students.
In the fall of 2023, Storlie a resident of Spring Grove, accepted the elementary long-term music position as a substitute until the school could find a permanent teacher. Starting in mid-February, she started teaching grades 7-12, which allowed her to lead the junior and senior high choir in the spring. This year she is teaching students of every age in her classroom on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
In her free time Storlie and her husband love to travel. She exclaimed, “I want to see the whole world.” The couple also likes to cook. You will also find Storlie at the Giants of the Earth Heritage Center and on stage at the Opera House.
According to Storlie, music is a cross-disciplinary celebration of humanities, and her biggest goal is to help people recognize the foundational approach it can bring to all facets of life, even beyond graduation.
“Every day is different, and I have state standards that need to be upheld, so there must be some meat and potatoes in the lesson for every grade level. However, there is also a lot of freedom in that. I can bring my own knowledge, my own background, and my own passion into the lessons plans. I can pick and choose the resources I want to utilize as long as the job is getting done,” said Storlie.
Here’s to a great year!
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