Hello!  I’m Lu Tana Griffin, and I’m a first grade teacher here at Dogwood.  This is my fifth year teaching, and I absolutely love it!  I taught Kindergarten my first year and the last three years have been with first grade.  I have been a Laker since I was in kindergarten.  I graduated from Camdenton High School in 2003.   I went to the University of Central Missouri  in 2008 with a double major in Early Childhood and Elementary Education.  I also graduated from Southwest Baptist University in the summer of 2012 with a Masters in Education.  I have been married to my best friend, Jeff, since 2009.  We don't have kids of our own (yet), but our two beautiful neices live with us.  Ali is a SENIOR and Bailey is a sophomore.   We enjoy spending time with our friends/family, hiking, canoeing, watching movies, and playing with our nieces, nephews, and great nieces.  Teaching is a passion and something I enjoy doing.  I love seeing my kiddos faces beam at the hard work that they have achieved.  It's priceless!!!   I know it’s my job to teach, but everyday the kiddos teach me something that helps me become a better teacher.  So I could never thank them enough! Thank you kiddos!