ELA - TRHS Email Phone: (920) 793-2291, Ext. 5327 I am starting my 18th year here at Two Rivers High School and have come to a painful realization: I am now one of the old teachers on staff! I would like to say that I have become a wizend, professional educator who has it all figured out, but that would be a lie. Most days I still feel like I am in my 5th year just finally getting a good grasp on the art of teaching; everytime I think I have answers, new problems arise and new approaches emerge. This year brings a shift for me as I will be working with three completely new teachers in our English department. This will help push me to stay sharp and will open doors to new approaches, theories, and practices to help me continue to grow as an educator.
My main goal as an English teacher focuses on engagement: can I get students to interact and think critically about, well, everything. Can we question the world we live in? Can we turn the lens inward and further develop our own perspectives and opinions? Can we learn how to effectively communicate what we think and what we know? Teaching English gives me the chance to help students learn how to further develop their ability to think, explore, and react to the world we live in.
I consider myself a well-rounded teacher, meaning my interests are all over the place, and I tend to be interested in numerous genres and styles. Recently, however, the need to focus on the concept of discourse and the need to build perspectives of the world around us has become my passion. A key part of English curriculum is effective communication; I think students desperately need more practice with discourse instead of argument. All of my courses are pushing to explore topics instead of just have a one-sided opinion on topics. And I absolutely love the study of literature -- not the "reading of stories," but the study of literature. The chance to experience different perspectives and different life experiences we might never encounter on our own. My hope is that the English courses I teach help students think about their own perspectives, the perspectives of the people around them, and the experiences of people completely different from them.
Over the years I have been involved in pretty much everything I can get into. I have been coaching the varsity volleyball team the past 8 years and have seen our program take huge strides. I directed musicals in my first seven years; unfortunately, I had to step away from that role after my wife and I had our son, Lucroy. I hope with all my heart to be able to get back into productions in the very near future. I am a freshmen mentor and a senior class advisor. I am the English department chair, but our English department works fluidly as a team, so "chair" isn't quite accurate. Maybe English department spokesperson is a better title. I run ACT skill and drill courses and am actively involved in helping students with college applications and placements. Recently I have also been more heavily involved in our community outreach programs to try to better connect our schools with our community in a way that provides more guidance and opportunities for students.
There are still way too many things I need to learn as a teacher; I have so many areas I need to improve and work on to be successful. In looking back, however, I can't help but feel blessed that, fourteen years ago, I decided to come sit for an interview at TRHS. This has become my home, and my heart is committed to helping improve this community, especially the opportunities our children have to learn and to develop.
