Introduction
Hello! My name is Carrie Otis, and I am an 8th grade Earth Science teacher. I have been a science teacher at Sanford since the fall of 2011. I am very excited to about the upcoming school year!
I never thought I'd be a teacher when I was growing up, but now I can't imagine doing anything else. I earned my BA in Biology at the College of St. Benedict. After college, I joined AmeriCorps and spent 2 years living in Ashland, Oregon doing natural resources work. I learned much about fuels reduction (and became pretty good with a chainsaw!), water restoration, wildland firefighting, trailbuilding, and environmental education. It was while leading a group of 5th graders into a wetland to yank out purple loosestrife that I realized that I liked to teach!
I attended the University of Minnesota to earn my teaching license and M.Ed in Science Education, and have been teaching high school and middle school science since 2007.
When not teaching, I love spending time outside. During the summer, I try to spend as much time camping, canoeing, biking, and gardening as I can. During the winter, you can find me cross country skiing or snowshoeing (even to work!), or curled up with my cat, Fred, and a good book.
I am so excited for this school year! Please don't hesitate to call or email with questions or concerns! My preferred method of communication is email, but can set up phone times or a face-to-face meeting before or after school. My contact information is caroline.otis@mpls.k12.mn.us.
I like to hike, and I like to climb the "mountains" of Minnesota. Here's a picture from the top of Carlton Peak near Lake Superior. We'll talk about how these "mountains" formed during the geology unit! :)