Mrs. Mary Lou Herring
For the past 19 years, I have taught at a Christian school in Austin, Texas. The majority of my experience is with English/Language Arts at the high school level, including AP English Language and AP English Literature. In addition, I have been an AP grader with the College Board for AP English Literature; Composition for the past 6 years. At a smaller school, teachers can be called to teach multiple subject areas, so I also taught Art for 6 years, including AP 2D Design, AP 3D Design, and AP Drawing.
My teaching career began when my daughter started kindergarten and has continued even though she is grown and married. Prior to teaching I worked in public relations, marketing, and physician recruitment in New York, New Jersey, New Mexico, and then Texas. When my husband and I had our daughter, I was blessed to stay home for two years before going into teaching.
I moved to Des Moines to be closer to family, including my daughter and son-in-law who live here and my mother, who is just hours away in Illinois. My Great Pyrenees, Bunny, came with me and is already loving the cooler weather here. So far I’ve been to an alpaca farm, the Des Moines Farmer’s Market, and many local restaurants like Portofino’s and the Grumpy Goat. In my spare time I read, walk my dog, bake, and keep up with friends and family.
My relocation has been orchestrated by God, with each step of the way being laid out in a clear path by Him. I trust Him with my future, as well as my past, and pray that each day I can be useful for bringing more glory to His kingdom. Teaching was a calling for me and something, like Jonah, I tried to avoid. But I know that His will prevails and am so grateful that I get to help educate the next generation of servants of Christ. Together we explore, question, and, of course, read to know His will in our lives.