Welcome! I am a public school teacher in Ohio. I am a dad of 3, married to a teacher, and a cat lover. Thanks so very much for visiting my new website! I am so glad that you are here!
I graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Development from the University of Miami and began teaching right away at the age of twenty-one. Taking graduate classes in the evenings, I later received a Masters of Instruction in Elementary Education.
My teaching career started near the turn of the century, back when there was time for Individuality in the classroom and children still had active dreams. Classrooms had dramatic play areas, sinks were filled with messy paint brushes, and”developmentally appropriate” was the catch phrase to use in a meeting. I have been around just long enough to see the educational pendulum swing back and forth a few times, but sadly never back to the time when kids could be kids.
After student teaching in kindergarten, my very first teaching job was in second grade. I loved that age group! After a move in registration, I was allocated to 1st grade and became a first to second grade floating teacher. It was such an excellent experience to watch my students grow across the span of 2 years. Those first five years in the primary grades gave me a very strong foundation for working as a third grade teacher in the middle of my career. I spent eleven years as a third grade educator, before transitioning into my current role as a K-5 talented professional.
I’m generally a very optimistic person. I am passionate about teaching and love the children I teach. Recently, the state of schooling has given me lots to be worried about. I feel that statistics and testing have become barriers to meaningful teaching. Real, live kids have become numbers, not people. It’s very, very concerning.
This site is about the kind of teaching that isn’t measured just by standardized tests. The type of instruction that builds character, self-esteem, and deeper understanding. The kind of instruction that discretely meets the standards. The type of instruction that teachers know is good for kids. Sadly, the kind of teaching that good teachershide.