Hello!   My name is Karen Buermann. I have been teaching at Eden Valley-Watkins for 24 years, all in 1st grade. I graduated from the College of Saint Benedict with a degree in elementary education and a minor in coaching. I also graduated with my Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from The College of St. Scholastica.  

I love teaching 1st grade because of the growth I see throughout the year and the sheer excitement six and seven year olds have for learning!  

I live with my husband Rich and our daughter Marin (16) on our farm near Paynesville. Our oldest daughter, Steph (26), currently works at CentraCare in St. Cloud and lives in Foley, MN. Our second daughter, Richelle (23), is living near Rochester, MN and finishing up her nursing degree. Our son, Christopher (11), passed away March 13, 2015 due to heart complications after knee surgery.  

After Christopher's death, we reevaluated what was important and what we had planned to do all along, so we sold our cows a few years ago after my husband had his knee replaced at age 52!!!  We currently rent out our cropland and my husband drives a school bus and works at CentraCare in Paynesville.

In my free time, I love to watch movies, go out to eat, read, and spend almost every weekend during the summer at our camper near Grand Rapids, MN.  Spending time with family and friends is also a MUST all year long!