Husband to my wife, Erin, since '10

Father to my sons, Chase (5th) & Maxwell (2nd)

Best friend to vizsla, R&B's Original Butterscotch Antesberger (2019)

Bachelor's--EIU ('03) & Master's--NEIU ('11)

Teacher/Coach--Chicago Public Schools ('04 - '14); Highland Park ISD ('14 - '22); Littleton Public Schools ('22 - Present)

-3rd Grade; 5th Grade; 5th Grade - Algebra 1 (Math)

-Football; Track & Field; Basketball; Wrestling; Soccer; Cross-Country

Fitness Forward/Wellness Driven

Favorite Mottos:

-Move Forward or Move On.

-If You Stay Ready, You Never Have to Get Ready!

-Pain is Temporary, Pride is Forever.

-Motion Creates Emotion!

-Be a Person of Value, Not Just One of Success.

-Don't Get Caught Counting Everyone Else's Sprinkles!

-Where FOCUS goes, ENERGY flows.

-Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It the thing you do that makes you good.

Welcome to a new year in Mathematics.  This year math is going to be exciting and new for everyone.  While many things have changed over the summer, a lot has stayed the same.  I am committed to keeping my Google Classroom up to date, and accurate with all the current assignments and topics that need to be completed throughout the year, regular (if not weekly) emails home.

Homework and Classwork Assignments: This year, there will in-class work and at home work that students need to complete which will be for a Work Habits grade. During a student's time in class, they will need their computer and math workbook, in addition to a PENCIL, to follow along and practice math problems as we move through the topics. At home, each student may be assigned to complete more practice problems and online work (Savvas Realize via Clever), some of which will have been started in class.  There may also be extension activities assigned when using online software.  Keys will be provided to support each student's efforts in the hard-copy homework, and it will be expected that the homework is corrected and scored each night.  We will keep track of missed problem numbers and Work Habits grades on a rubric/outline for each topic, which should be located in the students' binders.

Quizzes/Test/Assessments: Many lessons will have a quiz over the material. This will be given in class. There will also be end of topic assessments and other checks for understanding throughout the unit. Any assessment that covers information gained in class will be graded as Academic Content.

Absences: Each lesson will have access to videos that will directly relate to the topic that is being covered when you are in class through Google Classroom. All students will be able to view these videos, as well as parents throughout the year. These should be used not only for students that are absent, but also as a reference when completing work at home. Please reference them as much as you feel necessary.  Missed work should be made up in the same number of days a student is absent.

Late Work/ Missing assignments: All late and missing assignments from a student will not receive a full graded score. If there are any questions or concerns about a late or missing assignment, please feel free to email me.

Retakes/Make-Ups: Assessment retakes and make-ups will be given on a case by case basis for individual students, provided all homework is completed (with corrections) and all assessments are corrected. I really want to see what you know and what you can show me. I will work and give any student an opportunity to do this to the best of their ability. 

Topics that are going to be covered this school year in a tentative schedule.

Math 7

*Rational Numbers & Operations

*Generate Equivalent Expressions

*Solve Problems Using Equations & Inequalities

*Analyze & Use Proportional Relationships

*Analyze & Solve Percent Problems

*Solve Problems Involving Geometry

*Use Sampling to Draw Inferences About Population/Probability

Math 8

 *Analyze and Solve Linear Equations

*Use Functions to Model Relationships

*Analyze and Solve Systems of Linear Equations

 *Real Numbers

 *Congruence and Similarity

 *Understand and Apply the Pythagorean Theorem

 *Solve Problems Involving Surface Area

*Investigate Bivariate Data

During this school year, I am committed to helping you become the best student that you can be. In order to do that, I need you to be committed to the following class expectations;

• Be Purposeful in Your Actions...Focus>Follow-Through>Finish Everything

• Be Respectful of Our Environment...Take Care of You, Take Care of Others, Take Care of Our School

• Be Proud of Your Accomplishments...Acknowledge & Fix Failures and Celebrate Successes

If you can do these things, risk taking like asking questions, or sharing knowledge and stories, will be enjoyable and safe to do.  I look forward to having a great school year!