Study Hall and Open After School Office Hours with Mr. J.

"I am not the teacher that you are looking for," as I wave my hand ever so slightly.

I will not fill your students with rainbows and sunshine. I am not super high tech in the computer age. I don't offer fluff and I have no gimmicks. No puppies, even though I love them. As Popeye would say, "I am who I am."  I am straightforward, real, and at times, brutally honest, but that is what makes me who I am and one of the reasons why my students like and respect me. This is not to say that I am mean or that I don't care. I love teaching and I love my students, all of them, which is why it is so important to be as honest with them as I am.

When little Johnny acts like a fool in class, I will call him out. When little Jonnie turns in an assignment that she didn't really try on, I will call her out, too. I don't just expect the best out of my students, I demand it. And there will be days when they don't give me their best, but tomorrow is always a new day. So, yes, I will be honest, but I will love them as if they were my own. I will tell them how they can be better, but I will also be the first in line to praise them with a hug or a high-five for all of their accomplishments, no matter how big or how small, even if it is just remembering to put their name on their assignment for the first time. 

Life isn't always easy. We are constantly facing challenges that we must find the strength to overcome. My job as a teacher is to prepare them for those challenges. As my former student Brandon used to say, "Mr. J, your always about 'real talk.' I appreciate that." Or, Ashley, "We don't really learn about English, we learn about life." Or Ankit, "I was a stupid boy when you met me, but you have helped me become a man." Or my personal favorite, from Veronica, who never once walked up and spoke to me in the three years that I knew her, on the last day of school, she mustered up the courage, stood shaking in front of me as she spoke, "Thank you. I never would have made it through high school without you. You gave me the confidence to just to be me." I always thought she hated me.

Every teacher is going to tell you that they are different from other teachers. They will tell you that they are great because of whatever reason. I won't tell you those things. You've heard them before. Good teachers are good teachers because we care about your kids. Your kids become our kids. Methodology of instruction will often vary, but a love of students is always a constant.

I will tell you that I am highly caffeinated, always. I spend more time facilitating learning than I do providing instruction (the best four class periods of my life, I barely spoke, and I love to talk). I try to empower my students in any way that I can. I don't waste time grinding students through grammar or correcting every minor detail. I don't have a highly decorated online learning space since I am spending my life traveling the world. I don't do escape rooms or online games (I think they'd be fun though). Most of my fellow teachers view me as nontraditional and I have often received criticism for my teaching style and techniques. In fact, at first, most adults, parents, teachers, and administrators alike, question my ability as a teacher. So like I said, "I am not the teacher that you are looking for."

One of the funny things that I have learned in life is that the best things I find usually aren't the things I was looking for. This has been true of jobs, restaurants, friends, books, pretty much everything. So, I am probably not what you are looking for.  You probably have a different type of teacher in mind. But you have made it this far, so if you are willing to go a little bit further, you will likely discover what so many of my colleagues and students' parents have discovered before. My students, well, they seem to recognize immediately.

I won't always get it right, but I will always do my best to get it right. My students should have the same expectations for me.  I am a pretty intelligent guy, but in regard to the world and how much knowledge is out there, I really don't know much of anything. But I do know this is true, I am an amazing teacher. So, I am probably not the teacher you are looking for.

"I am," with a subtle wave of my hand, "the teacher you have found."

Experience: I have been working in education for almost 20 years. I have taught high school English in the United States and in China (plus primary school ESL), coached forensics (speech and debate) for much longer, have an extensive background in theater as an actor, writer, director, and producer, and I live a life of adventure, traveling the world and living the dream.

RESUME
English Teacher	9 years
Most Recent experience teaching abroad
Jiangsu, China                     	08/19-06/22
Suzhou High School: English teacher, grades 1-6	(08/21-06/22)
Yixing High School: AP English Teacher 	(08/19-06/21)
Other courses: Critical Thinking, Literature, Speech, Literature through Film,
American Studies, Western History and Culture through Film, and Cooking Club

Previous teaching experience in the United States
Independence High School, Bakersfield, CA	08/08-06/12
Senior English PLC Leader
Consistently improved standardized test scores, especially in reading and writing
Implemented original writing instruction based on creative strategies that encouraged student participation and growth
Designed creative projects that fostered student learning and engagement
Forensics Coach
Served as Fine Arts Boosters teacher liaison
Course taught: Eng 10 CP, Eng 10 Gen, Eng 11CP, Eng 12CP, and forensics
Hillside New Tech High School, Durham, NC,	08/13-06/14
Certified Advanced Placement instructor teaching: AP English Language and Composition
AP English Literature and Composition
Achieved the highest AP test passing rate school wide (AP Eng Lang/Comp)
Project Based Learning school
Chicago Public Schools	08/14-05/15
Temporary assignment at Wadsworth STEM teaching sixth and eighth grade English (08/14-11/14)
Temporary Assignment for a medical leave of absence at Amundsen HS. Courses taught included Senior Seminar and Creative Writing (01/15-05/15)

Forensics Coach (Speech and Debate)	10 years
Head coach for four years (Independence HS) and a volunteer assistant for six years (multiple schools)
Managed all finances and travel arrangements for the team
Provided instruction and coaching in five different debate events and twelve different speech events
Served as the Vice President of the Kern Region Forensics league