About Our 8A Teachers
Ms. Darling
I have been at WMS for many years and love teaching 8th grade. Currently I am teaching Global Studies which focuses not only on physical geography, but the relationships between countries and cultures. I also offer a trip to Washington DC in the spring of the year for 8th graders who are interested. This is a non-school sponsored trip and totally optional. I work with a company in DC and it is a great opportunity for kids to see civics in action in our nation’s capital.
Ms. Guertin
I was born and raised in MN, I attended Southwest MN state university and received a BS in Education. After graduation I moved to California, where I taught math for 18 years. While in CA, I received my Masters in mathematics curriculum from Concordia University. I recently moved back to Windom, to be closer to my children and my grandson. I am currently teaching 7th and 8th grade mathematics at WMS.
Mrs. Hietbrink
My name is Mrs. Hietbrink. I am a graduate of Worthington High School, and I received my degree in Elementary Education with a 5-8 English/Language Arts licensure from Southwest Minnesota State University.
I have been teaching 8th grade English in District 518 since 2009. I enjoy teaching at the middle school level. I incorporate technology into my classroom as much as I can–from the Smart Board to text messaging to interactive web sites to iPads.
Mr. Prunty
I was born and raised in Austin, Minnesota where I graduated from high school in 1990. I then attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa majoring in mathematics and secondary education. After graduating in 1994, I was hired by the Worthington school district to teach math classes at the high school and middle school. I spent the first three years traveling between buildings before settling in at the middle school as an 8th grade math teacher. I have been teaching 8th graders ever since.
I enjoy the challenges that come along with being a middle school teacher and love working with kids. I have been very fortunate to be a part of a school district with caring staff members and enthusiastic students.
Mrs. Spiegelhoff
My name is Jill Spiegelhoff. My first year teaching at Worthington Middle School as an Intervention teacher was 2014. I taught for more than ten years in other school districts in Wisconsin before we relocated in Minnesota. I have my Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Purdue University and my Master of Science degree in Environmental Education from University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. I have taught grades 5-8 in the areas of math, science, reading, and social studies. No matter what the grade or subject area it is always exciting to see the moment when students are able to show they understand something new.
During my free time I enjoy outdoor activities including gardening, camping, and nature photography.