Simple Tools for Complex Teaching

I've been a teacher at Lafayette High School in Lexington, Kentucky for 10 years now. I teach Sci-fi/Fantasy as an elective and Advanced and General Senior English, Advanced and Sophomore English, and AP Literature and Composition, African American Literature and Dual Credit as my core content. Prior to Lafayette, I taught in Ecuador at Colegio Americano, an I.B. school in Quito. In 2020 I was the Kentucky High School Teacher of the Year. I am currently the sophomore curriculum leader and member of the Writing Review Program. I've been trained in common core standards implementation, Quality Core (EOC) Assessment, Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) and Kagan engagement strategies.

I am energetic and fast-paced. I like to see my students working independent of me and interdependently, as they positively struggle with the together. I constantly strive to find the right amount of rigor and engagement. I feel as if the lesson isn't successful unless students want to know more or do more when it ends. I believe in fair and objective assessment of the skills I've explicitly taught, and I think students should have a voice in how they are assessed and taught. My designs are clean, simple, and straight forward, as I feel that is the easiest for students to navigate.

95th percentile in Content Knowledge on the PRAXIS English Exam Innovative Teacher Leader Fame Award(x3): Teacher who made an impact Nominated for Kentucky Teacher of the Year Awarded High School Teacher of the Year

I knew I wanted to be a teacher the moment I started college. This allowed me to focus both on my content and pedagogy at the University of Kentucky where I received a Bachelor's in English with a minor in Spanish and a Master's in Secondary English Education. Shortly after I started teaching, I began another Master's in English Literature at Middlebury College's the Bread Loaf School of English. I've since graduated. I'm now studying in a principalship program. My own personal education is the key to my passion for educating others.

I am a father. My favorite book is "East of Eden." I want to be a poet when I grow up.