An Odyssey of Learning

While in college I worked as a freelance Curriculum Developer for Gibbs Smith Publishing. I have been teaching English 9 since 2010 and also ELD since 2011. I currently teach in the Kern High School District in Bakersfield, California at South High School (Go Rebels!) I have taught all levels of English 9, remedial levels of English 10, a test prep class for the ELA CAHSEE (a discontinued state graduation requirement), and various levels of ELD. I currently teach English 9, all levels including GATE, and ELD 1 Beginner for newcomers to the USA. I have created much of my curriculum on the way, and I have been running a near-paperless classroom of 1:1 Chromebooks for the last six or seven years.

I have a strong focus on collaborative and independent work in my classroom. We learn more by doing and trying than anything else. Almost everything we do uses technology in some way, and I am known for hating paper on my campus. I like to think that my instruction has been heavily influenced by the work of Sugata Mitra and the Self Organized Learning Environment. I also strive to meet students where they are, and I work heavily with reluctant readers in remediation. I use comic books and Star Wars to supplement much of my instruction, but we still handle the typical tasks of English Language Arts education.

For a' that, an' a' that, His ribband, star, an' a' that: The man o' independent mind He looks an' laughs at a' that. --Robert Burns "A Man's a Man for A' That"

Attended Rider University as a Secondary Education and English Literature double-major before graduating from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in English Teaching, and later from California State University - Bakersfield with a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction.

I am obsessed with mythology. The only elective I ever chose in college was Honors Greek and Roman Mythology. I am an avid comic book reader, with a concentration in DC (especially Superman), but I dabble a little bit in Marvel. I am also a Star Wars super-fan, and when I am not creating curriculum, grading papers, or fighting technology, I cosplay with my wife and children at various conventions in Southern California.