Meet Our Instructors

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Amy Bowles  

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Amy Bowles received a full ride at Southern Nazarene University. There she ran track & field and cross country, was a TA and Editor of the Literary Magazine, fought for and brought the Art Department back to SNU, and graduated with a BA in Language Arts Education. She has graciously received opportunities to teach classes such as painting, creative writing, Language & Composition, and strength & conditioning at facilities such as YHS, SNU, Redlands, Shiloh Summer Camp, The Good Fight Church, and the OKCMOA.

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God currently builds her through marriage (Edward, 11 adventurous years and 70+ more to come), motherhood (Lily 6, Amelia 4, Elijah almost 2, and #4 in November), facilitating enlightenment in composition and critical thinking (Our culture calls it teaching, though most days she does more learning), and coaching track & field and cross country (We carry our aching joints beyond their narrow perception of our ability, spurring one another on to fight all the Good fights, to run the race marked out for us so as to win the prize, and to remember all the finish lines in our lives are severe mercies: this race will end, so we will run each step with everything in us, because in all the things we get to do, we don’t get to do any of it over).

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She spends her days humbly attempting to imitate the greatest Love the world could ever know, growing in ways she could never have imagined, laughing (and let’ be real, sometimes crying), seeking, writing, restoring and being restored, creating works of art, running, adventuring with her family, discovering, sucking the marrow out of life, and living deliberately.

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                     Christie Geis

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English Literature|British Literature|Intro to Literature

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Christie Geis and her husband, Kevin, have been married for 19 years and have been blessed with four children ranging from ages, 7-17.  Mrs. Geis has a Bachelor’s in Literature from UCO and a Master’s in Education from OU.  She has worked in education for over 20 years serving in many different capacities.  Her experiences cover a wide variety of jobs from teaching and tutoring to college counseling.  She loves a good story and uncovering great literature from the past and present.  

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Above all, Mrs. Geis desires to use her time and talents to the glory of God, and she desires to light the fire and love of learning for those she teaches. In her free time she loves gardening, reading, and chocolate.

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                        Etta Godwin

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Introduction to English |English Composition I | English Composition II 

 

Etta Godwin has a bachelor's degree in history with a focus on English education, as well as a master's degree in reading, both from UCO. She is an Oklahoma certified teacher and has taught in public school, private school and home school (her own). After obtaining her master's degree, she decided to tutor privately and has done so for 17 years. Additionally, she has tutored study skills at Platt College and has recently retired from her position as Academic Advisor for the School of Nursing at Langston University. 

 

Etta was married for 35 years and now widowed for seven.  She has four children and eight grandchildren.

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                       Sheila Ives

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American Sign Language I | American Sign Language II | Psychology

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Sheila Ives, an Oklahoma City native, holds a B.S. in Psychology and is a certified interpreter for the deaf. Her husband, Bob, and she have lived in northwest Oklahoma City since 2001. She has four married children and twelve grandchildren. Mrs. Ives has worked and interacted with the signing-deaf population for 32 years in eight states from Alabama to California. Through much of her signing career, she served as a free-lance interpreter mostly in religious, medical, and professional training settings. The last 14 years of her signing career were spent interpreting for and tutoring deaf students in school districts in Kansas and Oklahoma, before a wrist injury took her out of the full-time interpreting arena.

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In addition to enjoying her time with her family and her cats, Mrs. Ives enjoys working as a Christian counselor and teaching both Psychology and two levels of American Sign Language in the home-school community.  She brings a wide and varied background of experience to her classroom.

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               Shannon Schulz   

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Photography | Sewing | Writing - IEW Style & Structure | Personal Finance | Cooking

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Shannon Schulz hails from Colorado and has been married to her childhood sweetheart for 23 years. Together they have three busy daughters ranging from 14-17 years old. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in speech communications from the University of Northern Colorado in 1998, which opened the door for many opportunities, including, college ministry staff, interior design and sales, writing and home-schooling. But, through it all, her childhood love of photography never waned.

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 In 2010, Shannon started her own photography business, which eventually led to a position with Bella Baby Photography, photographing newborn babies at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, TN. Upon relocating to Oklahoma City in 2014 she has continued her business, especially her love of newborns.

 

Shannon is a featured blogger with HomeLife Academy and is in the process of publishing her first book, Grace for Eliza. When not at home teaching, she can be found enjoying the Lord’s creation or leading Bible studies at her church. She loves interacting with high school students and has spent years volunteering with the youth at church. She’s looking forward to sharing her love of ‘capturing the moment’ through photography and writing. 

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                       Tina Treat 

 

American History and the Constitution

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Tina Treat grew up in Oklahoma and attended Oklahoma State University and Northwestern State University where she studied Elementary and Special Education.  She worked at an alternative Middle School serving at risk youth in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she was able to help students achieve academic success.  She served many years in Children's ministry at her church in AWANA, both as a table leader and then as Director of 3rd & 4th grade girls. She also served as Children's Church Director and taught 40-50 children from Kindergarten through 5th grade on Sunday mornings. Tina also owned and operated a preschool daycare in her home for 4 years.  She has home schooled all three of her children and her oldest will be graduating college in the Spring at UCO.  Her sons are in High School and attend Limitless. Her passion has always been teaching and she has known she was called to teach since a young girl.  Tina lives with her husband Tom and two of their three children in Piedmont, Oklahoma.  

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                       Cynthia Yard   

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Multicultural Folk Dance | The History of The Golden Age of Musicals

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Cynthia began her dance training at the June Taylor School of Dance in New York City and continued with The Luigi Jazz Center.  She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from Adelphi University in New York.

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She has taught and choreographed for the New York Christian Theater, The AD Players, and Manning Dance and Gymnastics Studio. Her dance productions have been used by Trinity Broadcast Network and Gregg Mitchell (Juilliard, Eliot Feld Ballet, and Broadway)

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She retired to raise and homeschool her five children (K-12) here in Oklahoma and now is returning to share the educational benefits of exercise and movement.

  

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               Carrie Bertrand 
 

Physical Science, Biology, Anatomy, Physics

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SUMMARY Organized High School science teacher with many years of experience teaching a variety of students and science classes. Cultivated positive relationships and a creative hands-on learning approach in the classroom. Committed to academic excellence, detailed oriented, and incorporating a creation-based approach and Biblical worldview in my presentations. 
SKILLS 
• Biblical worldview and literal creation approach • Interactive classroom instruction • Positive atmosphere • Student engagement • Hands-on learning • Classroom management • Innovative lesson plans • Detail oriented 
EXPERIENCE 08/1994-12/1997 Secondary Science Teacher    Carver Academy and Waco High School - Waco, TX         I cultivated an enjoyable and innovative learning environment within an     inner city school. 
   I was a junior high teacher at a magnet school, Carver Academy, for two       years. I then relocated to Waco High School and taught physics and      physical science classes. Upon moving back to Oklahoma in December of     1997, I became a stay-at-home mother of two girls who I home educated     through his school.  
   During my home education years I taught several science classes at Tri-City     Home Educators including: astronomy, physical science, earth science, human     body, biology, and filled in for physics when needed.  
   I am currently a certified secondary science teacher in Oklahoma, and am     certified in biology, zoology, physical science and earth science.  
EDUCATION 1993   Bachelor of Science: Secondary Education    University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK

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