Experience Summary
For the past thirty years, I have used my BS from Bemidji State Univeristy and my Masters of Education from St. Mary's as a secondary English/Reading teacher. The predominance of my experience is in middle school, but I have many years in high school as well. In both Texas, where I began my career, and in Minnesota the focus of my teaching mission has always been to guide each student to a skill level of reading comprehension and written expression that would not only prove mastery for the state testing requirements, but allow each student to excel in his chosen field. Passing minimum competency tests is important, but it is a short-term goal; I strive to help students learn to love using our language to enhance their lives.
Teaching Style
Since I do not believe that proving one's self by test scores is the same as being educated, my classroom is a place of fun, laughter and enjoyment of the role story telling must play in our lives. My students read and share their book choices with others. I promote understanding the author and his motives as a lens for comprehension. In order to fully comprehend a written work, a person must spend time as a writer. I use the Kansas Sentence, Paragraph and Theme writing strategy to teach students to communicate themselves in writing and thereby more fully comprehend exactly what it is that an author does when he writes.