About Me

Hello Sycamore Families!

I hope you all have had a great summer vacation. I'm excited to return to Sycamore and will be teaching 8th Grade during the 2023/2024 school year. This is my third year at Sycamore, and I look forward to a productive school year!

During my childhood, I attended schools in England, the United States, and Australia, where my parents settled during my high school years. I continued my world travels during a 24-year career as a United States Marine. My life experiences have made me an adaptable and flexible person and taught me to respect others' perspectives. My desire to become a teacher grew from my experiences coaching soccer with my three children. I learned I loved mentoring children, helping them develop self-confidence, and seeing their joy in playing sports. I enrolled in a teacher education program and earned a Master's Degree in Education during my final three years of Marine Corps service.  In 2017, I acquired my California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and have been working in Education in various capacities ever since. 

I would say I take a “whole person” perspective with my teaching style. Our world is competitive and I want my students to acquire the academic skills necessary to succeed as productive members of society.  School is more than just making strides in academics, however. It’s also an opportunity to practice and develop interpersonal and intangible skills necessary to be a happy and effective adult.  For students to grow and learn, I strive to make my classroom a safe and welcoming environment for all. I treat my students like we are a team. Effective teams look out for one another and leverage each other’s strengths.     

My wife Lisa and I have a blended family of six children. We also have two dogs at home that keep our family very busy. In my free time outside of school, I’m busy completing household projects. Of course, spending time as a family is always a priority!

Education 

2008 - Bachelor of Arts - Psychology, California State University, San Marcos

2015 - Master of Arts - Elementary Education, University of Phoenix

2017 - Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development (CLAD) Certification, Alliant International University

2019 - Completion of Two Year Teaching Induction Program, Riverside County Center for Teaching Excellence

2016 - North Carolina Multiple Subject Teaching Credential

2017 - California Preliminary Multiple Subject Teaching Credential

2019 - California Clear Multiple Subject Teaching Credential