Meet Our Teacher
My husband and I moved to southern Oregon in 1992 to pursue his dream of managing a certified organic farm. I was content to spend time with my babies and consume copious amounts of freshly harvested organic produce. The years passed, and we find ourselves in a new season of life, with adult children and now grandchildren. I'm eager to share with others some of the many things I've learned along the journey.
At heart, I have been a nurturer and an educator nearly my whole life. My teaching career began at eight years of age, when I set up school on my front porch and taught my neighborhood playmates what I had learned in 2nd grade.
Sixteen years later, after earning my Bachelor of Arts in Education*, I
spent one year as a substitute teacher in Washington before moving to Alaska to teach 1st and 2nd grade in a Christian school.
In recent years, I have worked at a Christian preschool, tutored at a local charter school, and assisted in 2nd and 5th grade classrooms in the Grants Pass school district. I have also privately tutored children of various ages and abilities, and am proud to have been co-founder of the Grants Pass Homeschool Co-op. Most recently, I have been a substitute teacher for kindergarten through eighth grades.
I have worked with the Big Sisters program, taught Sunday school, mentored single mothers, foster parented, and provided respite for friends with special needs children.
Educating my four children at home has been a rewarding challenge. Two of my kids were honors students, one of whom was awarded a $40,000 scholarship. My other two children struggled to learn in traditional ways and motivated me to spend many hours researching alternate, effective approaches to their education. All graduated with a home school diploma.
Vaalia Schoolhouse is the culmination of decades of experience in teaching, loving, and discipling children of all ages and abilities. Come join the family!
Laurie Claffey
Western Washington University, 1984 Oregon teaching certificate 10495265