Philosophy

Learning through interests is the model I often use to engage and inspire students to learn and grow. Students need to know that what they are learning is meaningful and connects them with the real world. Rigor in learning means facilitating an authentic connection between the hand, mind, and heart. Students need to discover how the knowledge and skills covered in courses play out in the real world.

For example, learning math for math's sake may not be very interesting for the person who dislikes math. However, if that person enjoys sports or cooking, math can be used to help analyze sports statistics or can be used to assist in measuring out a recipe. In a similar fashion, those who have passions in specific areas can be assisted in finding various resources to develop and enrich those passions. They might be able to network with people who have similar interests, intern at related venues, and embark on projects that lead them to interesting findings.

Children are born naturally curious and inquisitive. The traditional process of schooling often dampens or even obliterates students' understanding of who they are and what interests they have. This is a shame for it is through students' passions they can learn the most.

My philosophy is based on research which demonstrates that we learn best when we are motivated to learn; we are motivated to learn when we are learning about what interests us and what is real; then, we are passionate about what we are learning and our learning cannot be stopped; we are compelled to learn more.