My name is Christy Heiple, and I am in my final semester in the MIS program. I live in Bismarck, North Dakota. My husband, Kris, is a middle school counselor, and we have four children: Wesley (15), Bre (10), Graeme (4), and Levi (2). We also have two extremely snuggly and slightly mischievous cats (Rajan and Lego).
I have been in education for 17 years, with 14 years spent as a classroom teacher and 3 years as a Library Media Specialist. I have had the amazing opportunity to teach in various locations, including Bronx, New York; Erie, Pennsylvania; Detroit, Michigan; New Delhi, India; and for the past 12 years, in Bismarck, North Dakota. Right now, I am a K-5 Library Media Specialist in two public elementary schools.
I am passionate about digital literacy and cybersecurity. I love every part of my job, from teaching students how to find good-fit books to coding, creating different kinds of digital media, finding and citing reliable sources, and so much more. Watching the students grow in their curiosity and confidence is a constant reminder of why I do what I do. I also enjoy sharing new ideas and tech tools with the teachers in my buildings and providing professional development within the district.
Most of my free time is spent supporting my children in their activities. Wesley plays the trumpet in the high school marching band and is involved in DECA. Bre takes horse riding lessons and ballet. Graeme plays soccer and wants to start T-ball this summer. Levi’s favorite pastimes are unloading all the kitchen cabinets, climbing onto the kitchen table, and trying to flip over the back of the couch, but I’m sure he’ll be in organized sports in the near future.
When I do have time to myself, I enjoy building a puzzle (specifically the Dowdle brand) or reading a book. I also dabble in writing and aspire to be a published author someday.
Hey Christy, it was so cool reading about all the places teaching has taken you. Being a teacher in India sounds like the experience of a lifetime! I loved hearing about your interest in digital literacy, and it got me thinking about my love for the topic as well, especially critical thinking as our society spends more and more time online. On a similar note, I also write here and there and hope to publish a book. I think everyone has a story to tell, so I look forward to hearing about your book someday!
Hello Christy! You have lived in and taught in so many cool places! It sounds like you not only have a lot of teaching experience, but a lot of rich life experiences from your time spent as a teacher and library specialist. I would love to hear more about your time spent in New Delhi. I really enjoyed hearing about your children and their many hobbies. It sounds like they keep you plenty busy, especially Levi with his cabinet rearranging expertise and couch acrobatics. I have three mischievous cats myself, so I know they can be a handful as well! I’m sure all these many characters and places you have visited in your life provide a lot of inspiration for your writing, and I look forward to seeing your work in this course and beyond.
I really enjoyed learning about your path in education and the range of places you have taught — from the Bronx to New Delhi is incredible. That kind of global experience must shape the way you view the world and approach digital literacy in powerful ways. I truly admire teachers (even though I have learned it is not my personal calling), and your passion for coding, cybersecurity, and helping students grow in confidence really comes through. Horseback riding and coding are actually goals of mine, so I loved that those threads showed up in your post. Your work sounds both meaningful and impactful.