Experience Summary
I have nearly a decade of secondary school teaching experience, including public and charter schools, middle schools and high schools. I am highly skilled and qualified to teach Social Science (especially US and World History) and Geo-Sciences, and have sometimes taught both science and social studies at the same school. I worked at Renaissance Academy Charter High School, for example, teaching five different courses before the year ended and the school was closed, as well as CHAMPS Charter High School, both in Los Angeles. I also taught in two large public middle schools (Sepulveda and Belvedere). Prior to this, I worked for more than a dozen years as a college teacher. My past academic/professorial work includes SUNY—Plattsburgh, Santa Barbara and Berkeley campuses of University of California, and California State University campuses at Northridge and Pomona. I have publications in sociology journals and scholarly books. I read, write, speak, and understand Spanish as well as my original language of English, in which I am especially well skilled.
Teaching Style
Recognizing as does William Glasser that students perform and learn in school only when their “basic needs” are met, students need a structured environment to allow them to focus on learning, but the central goal of schools is to provide students with intellectual tools to understand the physical and social worlds around them. Standards must be related to the lives of students so that they can become intrinsically motivated. Standards must be packaged and encapsulated as “essential ideas” to make them meaningful and accessible. Curriculum needs to be made exciting and relevant so that intrinsically motivated student can make it their own, and rigorous and challenging so that students are motivated and empowered to learn.
| American History |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Bachelor of Arts, teaching credential. |
| Earth Science |
 This is one of my top subjects!
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Authorized by California teaching credential |
| Geography |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| high school teaching experience |
| Government |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Very strong background. |
| Political Science |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Extensive graduate work. |
| Social Studies |
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Expert in almost every area of social sciences. |
| Sociology |
This is one of my top subjects!
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, one of the top three schools in the country |
| World History |
This is one of my top subjects!
Proficiency: Expert
|
| Bachelor of Arts and extensive graduate work, Ph.D. dissertation in historical sociology |