My journey as a teacher began in Sidney 25 years ago. I had a great experience teaching primarily 11th grade English. Towards the end of my first year, the teacher I student taught with in West Fargo recruited me to coach the Speech team. I had no idea of the educational journey ahead when I left SHS.  While working at West Fargo High School, I coached part-time for my alma mater (Concordia). Judging at college tournaments from time to time, I got recruited to coach at the college level, leading to my time as a graduate student and coach at Minnesota State (Mankato) and The Univerisity of Nebraska-Lincoln. I earned a Ph.D. at Nebraska in Instructional Communication. The past 15 years+, I taught Communication courses at Western Kentucky University.

I am thrilled to be returning to Sidney to bookend my career in education. I have always considered Sidney home, spending summers riding horses and hiking on our family ranch outside of town since I was a child. My dad graduated from Sidney before becoming an elementary art teacher in Michigan. One summer, he utilized his skill as a sculptor to repair the eagle that sits out in front of the high school.  

It is my hope that the experience I gained as a teacher over the last 20+ will lead to an enriching experience for the 12th graders I will work with this year. I strive for an interactive classroom where students learn to think critically about what they read and apply the readings to their real-life experiences. 

I am ready for the next stage in my educational journey. I will do my very best to prepare seniors this year, whether that be drawing from my experience working at the college level to help students get off to a great start in college or helping students transition to work life and all that entails.

Please feel free to email me with any questions: bthompson@sidneyps.com. I am also happy to add you to Google Classroom.

Google Classroom