The days, weeks, and years fly by as I watch the children that I work with grow, mature, and develop.  

I love sharing my passion for writing and reading with my students.  Teaching for me is an ongoing process. We, as educators, are always learning and growing from collaborating with other colleagues and attending additional learning opportunities when they arise.  

As John Elliot says, "History shows us that people who end up changing the world are always nuts, until they are right, and then they are geniuses."  History is always changing and being created simultaneously. Learning about history allows us to have conversations about the world. We are challenged to talk about how people change, how they stay the same, ideas of right and wrong, intent, and the intended and unintended consequences of behaviors. These discussions help us grow as individuals and also as a community of people.

I have always had a love of learning and desire to share my wisdom with others. It was no surprise when I made the announcement back in the third grade that I would become a teacher...someday. 

I grew up in the Muskegon Area truly enjoying everything that Michigan has to offer.  I spent many summer afternoons at the Lake Michigan Shoreline with my mom, and many evenings in the woods with my dad as he is an avid hunter and has a true love of training beagles.  I later began playing sports year round and started to ski as well.  I still love being outside and being active.  

I have always viewed learning as a partnership between the student and teacher, where both have the same goal: academic, social, and emotional student growth. I look forward to building and maintaining partnerships with students while they are in my classroom as well as long after they leave. I work to be a positive influence on every student who passes through my classroom.

I really enjoy working with people, and I love my students because I know that I can help guide them and teach them about math and life.

Music education, to me, is a great way to help students find something that they can enjoy, learn dedication and perseverance from, and be a part of a community that is supportive and fun.  Music is something people can have their whole lives, whether it is as a profession or as extra-curricular enjoyment.

Psychology, social work, families, and education have always been my passions. As a Psychology and Family Studies major at Cornerstone University, I never knew exactly how my passions would come together in the future, but I knew that somehow they would.  

I love working at Fruitport Middle School as an Instructional Assistant.  It is a joy to work with the kids and the awesome staff.

"If I were not a physicist  I would probably be a musician. I often think in music.  I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music" - Albert Einstein.

I very much enjoy spending time with students one-on-one or in small groups every day. Sometimes I’m able to support students in their classrooms, which might look like pulling them to a table in the back, or squatting down next to them as they work to complete their assignment.  It might even mean teaching a lesson to the whole class.  

Hello all!  My name is Mr. Fillenworth, or as the students call me Mr. Fill or Mr. Filly.  Learning has always played an important role in my life and I suppose I can prove that by saying I have attended 4 different colleges! 

I enjoy helping students improve their math skills.  I believe all students are capable of being successful in a math classroom.  

I am a native of northern Michigan where my love for children and teaching began at an early age.  First as a babysitter and then as a tutor of elementary students.

I have enjoyed watching students come in and their journey to learning how to read and the excitement when they can read a whole book on their own and their choosing of a Genre that they enjoy.

Helping others has always been important to me.  My hope is that my students know I care about their learning and well-being.  I have been teaching at Fruitport Middle School for many years and currently teach seventh and eighth grade science.  I have had the privilege of teaching sixth, seventh and eighth graders.  I earned my Bachelor of Science in Group Science (with a mathematics emphasis) from Grand Valley State University.

The picture above is of my family on our vacation in Norway. Even though we were on vacation, I had to get in a Marathon. (After all how often do you get to Norway?) My family joined me in my adventure. While I ran a Marathon, my oldest son ran a half marathon, my wife ran a 10K and my youngest son ran a mile. We all earned medals in our age groups. I am blessed with a family who takes their health seriously. It is my goal to help students and athletes feel
the same way about their health. I love the challenge of getting students in shape. I also love helping them see that no matter what level of fitness they are at, there is always room for improvement.

Growing up I was surrounded by educators. My mother was a high school teacher until she had 5 kids and I also had an aunt and a grandmother who were teachers. Education was a very important part of our family.

I enjoy every second of my day from meeting students in groups, presenting in classrooms, talking one-on-one, or just chatting in the hallways.

Teaching chose me. What else could I do that would combine my passions for learning, mathematics, and making a difference with our youth?! Learning is a life journey and it begins with the opportunities education provides. I am grateful to be a part of each student’s academic and behavioral success.

One of my favorite experiences was spending three years in the Peace Corps in Central America.  I 've met many wonderful people in my travels and hope to continue to travel in the future.  I also have an amazing pet, Lucy, who happens to love traveling too! She loves to come to school and run with the team.

Math, science, and social studies are important courses that our students need for our society to function.  Art, poetry, design, love, beauty, and music are what our souls live for.

After taking a psychology course as an elective my senior year of high school in Saginaw, Michigan, I knew I wanted to do something in the field of "Why do people act the way they do, and how can I help?"

I chose to teach as my vocation because of my conviction that every child should be given the opportunity to become whatever or whoever they desire to be.  Believing that education and knowledge open doors to opportunity,  I hope to contribute to each student entering my classroom, a small part of their academic and behavioral foundation from which to build upon.

Education to me is first and foremost about creating relationships with students. I love people and stories; this love comes from a relationship with my grandfather who wrote human interest stories for the Grand Haven Tribune for 65 years. Social Studies is the place for people and stories and finding out how we all fit in!

My favorite thing about teaching and my educational philosophy is to make connections with my students.  I strongly believe that positive relationships in the classroom is the key to having a successful learning environment.  My goal each school year is to make that positive connection with each and everyone of my students to foster their education.  

Coming out of college, I planned to become an English teacher. Armed with degrees from Penn State and Boston University, I headed out into the career world...and ended up following an entirely different path. Life has a funny way of taking us places we never planned! So it wasn’t until last year, after 20+ years of Advertising in Chicago, that I finally ended up in a classroom.

Technology is always changing and students need to be prepared to change with it. Efficiency is important, just because you are using technology does not mean you are working efficiently. Our classroom explores a lot of different programs and often discusses different and more efficient ways to use technology to get a task done.  I love teaching students the topic of technology, it is always changing and always fun!

I still love the excitement I see on student’s faces every time they successfully communicate in Spanish. If you visit my classroom, you will notice that I teach my class almost entirely in the target language (Spanish). Don’t worry, it sounds intense, but the students love it and are up to the challenge.  I strive to make learning valuable and fun just like my experience in school.

My time growing up was spent enjoying numerous outdoor activities in West Michigan (such as boating, fishing, camping, hiking, soccer, beach volleyball) and traveling the country with my family through various modes (car, RV, boat, train, airplane). These experiences fed a curiosity about life and love of experiencing and learning new things that has continued into adulthood.  While I still enjoy all of those activities of my youth, I am often drawn to new ventures such as teaching myself to play the keyboard and dabbling in photography.

I have enjoyed watching students think and create.  I believe each child is a unique individual who needs security, a nurturing environment and the ability to let their curiosity lead their learning.  Fruitport Middle School has allowed me the opportunity to foster that within my students.

I knew from an early age I wanted to be a teacher. With a makeshift chalkboard and a library of tattered books, I would come home from first grade and “school” my younger brother.  

I believe that ALL children have the ability to learn and thus have the ability to obtain, reach, or conquer anything that they want.  My goal is to help foster a safe, positive, and encouraging environment for their journey to take place.  I feel so proud and blessed to serve as principal of Fruitport Middle School.  I’m looking forward to learning and growing alongside the incredible students, staff, and families.

Most of my free time and enjoyment is focused on family and friends. I also love to travel when time allows. I am continuing to broaden my learning through the diverse traveling experiences that I’ve shared with my husband.  These experiences have broadened my cultural awareness and have given me a greater appreciation for my educational career path.  My passion remains in helping support students who have academic and behavioral needs within the classroom setting.

As the saying goes, “Time flies, when you are having fun!”  My goal each day is to help students strive to reach their potential not only in Math, but in all areas of their life.  I hope that I can challenge and encourage my students and help them realize the huge amount of opportunities that are waiting for them 

I graduated from Grand Valley State University with a B.A. in Special Education and Psychology.  I have endorsements in both cognitive impairments and learning disabilities.  I am a member of the Council for Exceptional Children and am blessed to be working in the same community in which I live.

Early on in life, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in education and I can honestly say that I have never regretted that decision. Each day is unique and provides me the opportunity to have students engage in a variety of activities and learn more about the world around them.

I enjoy having a job that each day not only feels different from the last, but has an opportunity to become a memorable experience because of the kids with whom we we work. Teaching science to young adults is very rewarding.  I not only enjoy teaching science, I still love learning about the new discoveries that scientists are making each day.

I have taught 8th grade and currently am teaching 7th language arts.  I really enjoy my job and my students continue to amaze me with each day being new.  I graduated from CMU with a bachelor's degree and from GVSU with a Master's degree in educational leadership