I am blessed in so many ways.  Not only do I get to work and play with children for a career, but I also get to do it at the school district that I attended as a child.  Many years ago, I was the student learning to read, write, and solve math problems at East Jackson Community Schools.  I graduated from EJ in 1994 and went on to earn my teaching degree at Central Michigan University in 1999.  I began teaching at East Jackson in the fall of that same year while continuing my education at Spring Arbor University.  With a great sense of accomplishment, I completed my Master's Degree in Education in 2006. I have taught 13 years in 6th grade, 2 years in 4th grade, 7 years in 3rd grade, and 2 years in 2nd grade.   This year will be my 25th at East Jackson and my first year teaching STEAM class.
I am hoping it will be the best year yet!

I am also blessed with an amazing family!  My beautiful wife, three daughters, and one son are my pride and joy.  We love camping, riding bikes, fishing/hunting, reading, watching movies, playing sports, and going to church together as a family.  After school and during the summer months I teach Driver Education. My favorite team is the Detroit Tigers, I love anything that deals with the outdoors, and my new hobbies are gardening and metal detecting!

I believe that teaching is a way to give others knowledge so then they can give it to others.  I feel that I have been given a gift of loving children.  I want to see them be successful, to help them back up when they have fallen, to inspire them to make this world a better place.  I expect dignity, honor, responsibility, courage, accountability, and respect for themselves, others, and the world around them.  A wise man named John F. Kennedy once said, “All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talents.”  This means that every child that enters my classroom door will have an equal chance at displaying his/her strengths and practice to improve the areas that need improving.  Nobody has my permission to give up when the work gets hard or make fun of others who are struggling.  We work together as a team: student, parent, and teacher!  May this school year be full of laughs, a love developed for learning, and memories of school that will never be forgotten.