On my first day of pre-school when I got home to my mom (who'd missed her little boy terribly his first day away from home) I told her I wanted to be a teacher. As I grew up, I never changed my mind.

When I was little--I'll admit--it was more about getting to sit in the chair with wheels behind the big desk and write on a chalkboard that seemed most alluring. But as I grew older, I began to see teachers as being among those great people in our world who seek to help others become better, all the while seeking still to improve themselves. I wanted to be a person like that.

When I first went to college, I thought that I wanted to teach young children in early grades. But before I had graduated, with the inspiration from a best friend and an admired professor, I decided that I wanted to work with middle school students. Since stepping into my classroom on my first day as a teacher, I've never regretted it.

Middle School Students

Do you or someone you know suffer from ephebiphobia? It's the persistent, unwarranted fear of teenagers. It stems from the clash in culture between students who are not quite children any more but haven't quite become adults yet either. And it's one of the reasons I chose to teach middle school.

No, I don't suffer from ephebiphobia, but I know plenty of people who do. I chose to be here because I want those students in the "middle" to find a voice of their own. I believe that they are maturing into adults and that they need guidance and encouragement to make the right choices. I know it is important for these students to find their place in the world and I want them to know the possibilities as well as what it takes to succeed.

A good person is one who continually seeks to improve him or herself. I believe that each of these students is capable of becoming a worthwhile, respectable human being. They just need some encouragement and adults who care to guide them when they need a hand.

Value of History

It's no coincidence that I decided to teach history in the middle school. History is an incredible context to help students understand the world around them as well as to find opportunity to reflect on one's self. History is full of examples from which we can learn to better ourselves. It also teaches us to consider possibilities we may have never thought otherwise. It teaches us to be prepared and shows us the value each person has while showing us the many opportunities to work toward bettering ourselves and our world.

Authentic Learning

Whether it's history, reading, math, science, or any other subject, students have the greatest success when they are engaged in an authentic task. As for my history class, I'm not concerned with trying to convey as many names, dates, facts, and places as I can in a year for such an effort would undoubtly remain largely unfinished in the end and leave students with little they can use in their future. Instead, my goal is to use history as a context for examining issues that do matter to students and the world today.

When we study history, we are looking to problem solve, to analyze why things are they way they are (and understand how to change them), and to become better people ourselves. We cannot rely on just a textbook to provide all the background knowledge we need, but rather we examine as many books, websites, maps, writings, primary sources, and other artifacts as we can to build an understanding of particular concepts. Students learn through discussions, explorations, simulations, and inquiry-based projects instead of by reading long textbook chapters and answering questions on paper. The result is a deeper understanding of concepts that define our world today.

We examine lots of great stories and people from history because they're great examples to learn from, but if you don't remember who Hammurabi is or where the Ganges River is, I won't be a failure as long as you learn the important lessons of being a critical thinker, a life-long learner, and a person of character.

eMINTS & Cooperative Learning

eMINTS provides the tools, but it's what we do with them that makes a difference. I believe students will learn more through constructing their own knowledge than listening to me try and explain it all. I'll be there to help, but I want students to begin to take ownership of their learning and seek out new understanding on their own.

It's always easier when we have others there to support us and work together. That is why cooperative learning has such a strong role in our classroom. Cooperative learning does not mean "group work" where one student does all the work and four others sign their name to the project (I know what that was like; I've been the "one student"). It does mean that students work together, each providing an individual contribution combined to reach a common goal. Assessment in these cases reflects not only the combined cooperative efforts of the group, but also the individual contribution and understanding acheived.

All Students Can Succeed

As with all the teachers I work with, I believe that each student in my class has the ability to reach success as well as the right to that success. Success occurs at many levels as unique and varied as the students who seek it. As an educator, my hope is to encourage students to better themselves through setting high goals and by providing them with the tools and support to reach them. To this end, I set my expectations for each individual high and work to help students rise to met them daily.