2020-2021

This school year offers challenges and (I think) rewards. A lot of teachers are scrambling to adjust to the virtual environment, but I find it invigorating to do it this way. It makes me rethink how I share information with my students, how I communicate with them, and how I can motivate them to achieve.

The biggest challenge is motivation.

Students in 9th grade still seem to have a problem envisioning what their futures hold. Many still haven't considered careers and adult lives, and so they are reluctant to push themselves academically, especially since there's a whole lot more short-term reward in playing video games and surfing social networks. As hard as it is for some of them to detach from those distractions, now is not a time to be "slack." Students can learn a lot this way: they can still read and they can still write. In fact, I'd say they can do it better without many of the common classroom distractions.

2019-2020

Entering my 24th year of teaching, I still find teaching to be both challenging and fun. No matter how much paperwork is added, no matter what political initiatives come, working with kids is still working with kids, and I've taught kids from all over - kids are kids no matter where you are.

I began my career in Savannah at a small, private school; then, I moved to rural NY to work at an international boarding prep school, an interesting mixture of rural farm kids, professors' kids, and rich Asians. Following that, I worked at an urban high school - a much different demographic. Last year I transferred to Coastal Middle School and had a successful year teaching here. 8th graders offer an interesting challenge, since they're on the verge of moving off to high school, and 8th graders in a middle school model are even more interesting; they're the like the "seniors" at a middle school, and behave in many of the same ways as high school seniors.

I'm looking forward to this year for many reasons. I have my feet firmly beneath me going into this year - the curriculum is no longer a "stranger" to me, so I know what's coming, and I'll be able to plan more intensively than last year. I also have the pleasure of seeing two of my own children flourish in my own school - I have a 6th and 7th grader here at CMS this year, and there's nothing so enjoyable as watching your own kids blossom in an environment that you help create.

I have a vested interest in making CMS great, so as I get ready for the year, I'm ready, I'm thankful, and I'm eager to get started.

2018-2019

Entering my 23rd year of teaching, I still find teaching to be both challenging and fun. No matter how much paperwork is added, no matter what political initiatives come, working with kids is still working with kids, and I've taught kids from all over - kids are kids no matter where you are.

I began my career in Savannah at a small, private school; then, I moved to rural NY to work at an international boarding prep school, an interesting mixture of rural farm kids, professors' kids, and rich Asians. Following that, I worked at an urban high school - a much different demographic. Last year I transferred to Coastal Middle School and had a successful year teaching here. 8th graders offer an interesting challenge, since they're on the verge of moving off to high school, and 8th graders in a middle school model are even more interesting; they're the like the "seniors" at a middle school, and behave in many of the same ways as high school seniors.

I'm looking forward to this year for many reasons. I have my feet firmly beneath me going into this year - the curriculum is no longer a "stranger" to me, so I know what's coming, and I'll be able to plan more intensively than last year. I also have the pleasure of seeing two of my own children flourish in my own school - I have a 6th and 7th grader here at CMS this year, and there's nothing so enjoyable as watching your own kids blossom in an environment that you help create.

I have a vested interest in making CMS great, so as I get ready for the year, I'm ready, I'm thankful, and I'm eager to get started.