My  name is Brian Cavanaugh I am the Firefighting and EMT teacher at Ellet CLC in the Akron Public School District. I recently retired from the Navy Reserve as a Chief Hospital Corpsman and began my teaching career at Ellet Community Learning Center. I have worked as a firefighter and a paramedic for the past twenty years for Medina, Ohio. I continue to serve Medina as a part time firefighter and work as the Firefighting Program Director at the Medina County Career Center. I have enjoyed the transition to teaching and plan on continuing teaching for years to come. 

What worked and what did not work during these past few months during online learning. 

1. Allow students to take control of their learning. I started the year off with students selecting class leaders and roles. Students then created their own Student Expectations. This worked well and held the students accountable for his or her actions. 

2. Assign strong group leaders. Assigning strong leaders helped students become better leaders and allowed students to learn from each other rather than just the teacher. This gave them incentive and team competition.

3. Intentional Pairing.  Students who excelled where paired with students who struggled. Student improved test scores and occasionally made new friends in the process. 

4. Hands on Learning. Students learned better during hands on portions of the course rather than continual lecture. 

5. Involving Industry Partners. Students enjoyed working with the Akron Fire Department, Children's Hospital and other CTE programs. This allowed students to understand what they are learning on a deeper level. 

Akron Public Schools and the Firefighting and EMT program work closely with industry partners. We are involved in the Akron Fire Explorers and Children's Hospital Explorers. Students are able to experience hands on learning with theses partners regularly. Our Advisory Committee consist of members from the Akron Fire Department, Stark State College, Akron University, and parents from the Firefighting and EMT program. 

Questions about this program can be directed to bcavanau@apslearns.org thank you for visiting our site.