About Me...
Thanks for visiting my site and taking a moment to learn more about me. The 2014-15 school year will by my fifth year teaching, and my 2nd in Jenison.
I began my teaching career in 2010 at West Ottawa High School where I taught US Government, World History, and some elective courses. Beginning in 2011, I was given the opportunity to add Advanced Placement US History to my schedule as well. Currently, I teach World History and Economics in Jenison
Prior to entering the classroom, I spent five years as project manager for a $1.8 million federal grant program through the Muskegon and Ottawa Area Intermediate School Districts. The purpose of the grant was to provide high quality professional development for social studies teachers in the region. In my capacity as project manager I had the good fortune to meet many of the very best social studies teachers in the area - many of whom were from Jenison!
I graduated from Grand Ledge High School in 1996 and Michigan State in 2000. My BA is in French Horn Performance, but it turns out that its hard to make a living that way. After some soul-searching, I decided to pay attention to what my high school teachers had said, and to what my family had been telling me all along and become a teacher. I went back to school in 2003 at Grand Valley and took 36 credits of history classes before beginning work on my Master's Degree in education, which I finished in 2012. I can't imagine doing anything else now!
Besides doing all that I can to be a better, more effective teacher, I enjoy spending as much time as I can with my wife - who happens to be Director of Orchestras at Jenison Junior High - and our two little boys - who also attend Jenison Public Schools. We enjoy traveling, bike riding, camping, and all kinds of other stuff. I can usually be found in my workshop when I get a spare minute working on any number of things. I dabble in woodworking, auto mechanics, electronics, and breaking things. :-)
I began my teaching career in 2010 at West Ottawa High School where I taught US Government, World History, and some elective courses. Beginning in 2011, I was given the opportunity to add Advanced Placement US History to my schedule as well. Currently, I teach World History and Economics in Jenison
Prior to entering the classroom, I spent five years as project manager for a $1.8 million federal grant program through the Muskegon and Ottawa Area Intermediate School Districts. The purpose of the grant was to provide high quality professional development for social studies teachers in the region. In my capacity as project manager I had the good fortune to meet many of the very best social studies teachers in the area - many of whom were from Jenison!
I graduated from Grand Ledge High School in 1996 and Michigan State in 2000. My BA is in French Horn Performance, but it turns out that its hard to make a living that way. After some soul-searching, I decided to pay attention to what my high school teachers had said, and to what my family had been telling me all along and become a teacher. I went back to school in 2003 at Grand Valley and took 36 credits of history classes before beginning work on my Master's Degree in education, which I finished in 2012. I can't imagine doing anything else now!
Besides doing all that I can to be a better, more effective teacher, I enjoy spending as much time as I can with my wife - who happens to be Director of Orchestras at Jenison Junior High - and our two little boys - who also attend Jenison Public Schools. We enjoy traveling, bike riding, camping, and all kinds of other stuff. I can usually be found in my workshop when I get a spare minute working on any number of things. I dabble in woodworking, auto mechanics, electronics, and breaking things. :-)