My Teaching Credentials
I earned a Masters degree in Elementary Education with a specialization in Math and Science from the University of Florida. Prior to earning a Masters degree, I earned a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education also from the University of Florida. Earlier still, I earned an Associate of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Broward Community College. However, none of these places are where I received my education. My education began long before I decided to return to school to become a teacher. My education began in my childhood where I learned very early-on what it meant to work to live. Throughout my childhood, I learned that with every hardship there is an opportunity to grow stronger. Through my adolescence, I learned that hard work and determination are not always rewarded externally; yet I struggled on.
As I entered young adulthood I joined the ranks of the workforce and learned that integrity and respect are the greatest currency of all. Throughout my years as a young adult I interacted with people of all backgrounds and learned that a person's wealth of character is not always synchronous with his wealth of condition. I came to see that there is no person on this Earth that I cannot learn something from. Prince or pauper, man or woman, black or white, prominent or insignificant, every one of us has something to teach the world. So I now enter my own classroom every day only one of twenty-four teachers; let the learning begin.
My Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy goes beyond the traditional role of the teacher dispensing knowledge. A teacher should teach more than just reading, writing, and mathematics. Teachers hold the responsibility to also teach students higher-order thinking skills such as creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving skills. Teachers must model for and try to instill in their students a life-long love of learning.
An effective teacher is not one who molds students into passive receivers of lists of facts. An effective teacher is one who empowers students with strategies and skills to discover and create knowledge and ideas independently. An effective teacher is one whose students say, "I'll find a way" rather than "I don't know how."
My Background
I was born in Petoskey, Michigan (that's way up north-brr!) and moved with my family to a very small town in central Michigan (still pretty cold for you Floridians) before I could even remember. My parents separated when I was very young and I never got to know my father very well. My mother was a lifelong student and very hard-working single mother of three. Her pursuit of knowledge led our family to many different places and ultimately to Tampa, Florida when I was in the eighth grade.
I lived in Tampa until I was twenty years old and then joined the Army for two years. After coming home from the Army I moved to Lakeland, Florida where I started working for a food-service distribution company. Around this time in my life I lost someone very close to me and I decided that I was working extremely hard every day for nothing more than a paycheck at the end of the week. So I decided to do something I never thought I would be able to do; I went to college.
Mr. Nichol's Class 
