I live in Victoria with my wife and two children. Outside of school, I coach high school hockey and own a small publishing company. In my spare time I enjoy camping and spending time in the outdoors with my family.
What do you like most about BA?
The ability to form such strong relationships with students due to the small class sizes is key. As a teacher, you know each student’s strengths and weaknesses within the first week of school. In the public schools, you’re still learning everybody’s name for the first couple of weeks.
Why did you get into education?
As a child, I loved school, but I knew that many of my classmates did not. I went into education to grow the love of learning in our next generation, even in subjects that might come more difficult to them.
Which coach or teacher had the biggest impact on your life and why?
There were three. My 9th grade social studies teacher, Mr. Bachman, who had such a great energy every day in class. Another was my high school psychology and philosophy teacher, Mr. Powell, who found a way to make his class a collaborative effort with students and where questioning and learning was encouraged, even if it didn’t follow that day’s exact lesson plan. Finally, my high school composition and literature teacher, Mrs. Flom, who had such an ability to build strong relationships with her students.
What is the best advice you can give students at BA?
How you do anything is how you do everything. To be a great athlete, you must also be great at home, in the classroom, and in your community.
What are your credentials and teaching experience?
I have a Bachelors of Science in Secondary Social Studies Education and a Masters of Science in Teaching and Learning. After student teaching at Bloomington Jefferson High School, I substitute taught in the Waconia, Chaska-Chanhassen, and Bloomington Public Schools in elementary, middle, and high schools. After teaching 8th grade social studies at Chaska Middle Schools East and West, I became the 5th-8th grade social studies teacher at Breakaway Academy in the fall of 2017.