Growing up on a small farm in a small town in Western New York I never imagined all the places I would see or all of the things I would end up doing. Having a secure home in a safe place certainly made my life easier than it is for many and gave me options that others never get. However, so much of what I have become in life is unquestionably due to the amazing, caring, and supportive teachers I had in school. They believed in me and encouraged me to grow, expand, and explore. They taught me how to think, not what to think, and they listened to all I had to say. I learned so much more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic. As Einstein once said, “Education is that which remains, if one has forgotten everything he learned in school,” and I was fortunate to have had genuine educators who were more than just teachers.

I spent a significant amount of time in my "first career" as a web developer for WGTE Public Media. In that role I worked on many educational initiatives and applications, doing meaningful work with highly dedicated and creative people. Many of those people were educators themselves: school administrators, classroom teachers, educational resource professionals, curriculum developers, and state education officials in Ohio. It was a dream-like period in my life and, just as in my school days many years earlier, I learned far more than just web development. My life was good and I knew that someday I would "pay it forward" and try to do for others what so many had done for me.

All of this led up to my "next" career as a math teacher. Having led teacher-training workshops while at WGTE, along with a brief evening position as a JavaScript instructor at Stautzenberger College in Maumee, Ohio, it was clear I had a talent for making difficult concepts clear for students of all types. I also knew that math was a difficult subject for many and that there was a severe shortage of math teachers in the United States. It was the right time, and I decided to enter a teacher certification program in Texas. My first job was at Aransas Pass High School in Aransas Pass, Texas. It was an absolute joy and a great success. I was made department head in my second year and won four Torch Awards in just two years.

In 2015 my wife and I moved to North Carolina and I began teaching at AC Reynolds High School in Asheville. I spent eight incredible years at the school, serving in many leadership roles, including Math Department Head. I also won "Teacher of the Year" for the 2022-23 academic year. But the best part was the heartfelt notes, emails, and gifts I received from both students and parents.

My last year of teaching was at Buncombe County Early College in 2023. My stepson had attended an "early college" in Corpus Christi, Texas, and it was a transformative experience for him. I wanted a new challenge and accepted the position. It was a great year, but at the end, I had come to believe that math education in public schools was becoming outdated with the rise of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence. I decided to take a year off and pursue a Graduate Program in Data Science and Business Analysis at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas in Austin. I finished with a 4.33 GPA and a class rank of #2. I also took many online courses in Data Analytics, Python Programming, Excel & Power BI, and advanced math classes in statistics and linear algebra. More than ever, I am convinced that math education will need to transform to keep pace with the rapid changes of our developing discrete and digital world.

I am now looking for my next meaningful career opportunity. I am confident that I bring a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience and would be a strong asset to any school or organization that desires to add a highly motivated and mission-driven member to their team.

10 questions and answers about my educational philosophy.

1. What is your core educational philosophy?
2. How do you view the role of the teacher in the classroom?
3. What are your beliefs about how students learn best?
4. How do you incorporate diversity and inclusion in your teaching?
5. What strategies do you use to engage and motivate students?
6. How do you handle classroom management and discipline?
7. What role do you believe technology should play in education?
8. How do you assess and evaluate student learning?
9. What is your approach to professional development and lifelong learning?
10. How do you foster a growth mindset in your students?

10 questions and answers about my classroom strategies

1. How do you differentiate instruction in your classroom?
2. What strategies do you use to promote active learning?
3. How do you incorporate formative assessment into your teaching?
4. What methods do you use to build a positive classroom community?
5. How do you support students with diverse learning needs?
6. What role does student feedback play in your teaching?
7. How do you address behavioral issues in the classroom?
8. How do you integrate real-world applications into your lessons?
9. How do you support students' social and emotional development?
10. What techniques do you use to manage time effectively during lessons?

The world is rapidly changing, and so must our view of how to teach math. We do not need more rote human calculators who simple repeat memorized steps. What we need are people who can understand what math tells us. And just as important, we need people who know how to use the tools and technologies that allow us to synthesize that understanding into new and substantive insights. And we need poeple who know how to use the tools and technologies that allow us to collaborate and communicate.

I eagerly seek and embrace new technologies, but I also understand that educational technologies are tools and not simply something we should do just for the sake of using technology. We must always remain purpose-driven rather than trend-driven. It is vital to leverage those tools that genuinely enhance education, but we must be careful not to just lurch from new thing to new thing without a clear plan why.