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About The Teacher Label:


About The Teacher
I have been teaching American History for more than 20 years, beginning at the middle school level. I am beginning my 16th year at Padua Franciscan and am currently the Social Studies Department Chair and teach both United States History and Advanced Placement U.S. History. I believe that students are the historians in the classroom. They investigate the past, analyze sources, create hypotheses, interpret the documents and reach conclusions about history. My class is focused on learning history through hands-on activities involving primary sources, research, class discussions and inter- active projects. As a result of my education philosophy and teaching techniques, I have been recognized as a Disney American Teacher in 1995, named the Gilder-Lehrman Ohio History Teacher of the Year in 2004 and am a Master Teacher with the National Council for History Education.

Mission Label:


Mission
Your study of United States History this year will give you a better understanding of the key events, people, and issues that have been instrumental in shaping our society. As a citizen of a country which allows you the opportunity to be involved in political, economic and social decision making, it is your responsibility to be adequately informed in order to make intelligent decisions. With rights, one must be willing to accept responsibilities in order to maintain those rights. In the words of Columbia University Professor Kenneth T. Jackson, "Unlike many other peoples, Americans are not bound together by a common religion or common ethnicity. Our binding heritage is a democratic vision of liberty, equality and justice. If Americans are to preserve that vision and bring it to daily practice, it is imperative that all citizens understand how it was shaped in the past, what events and forces either helped or obstructed it, and how it has evolved down to the circumstances and political discourse of our time." It is my goal that along with an increased knowledge of the history of our country, students will also improve their chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research capabilities and historical issues-analysis and decision-making to ultimately make them better citizens in a democratic society. Ultimately, what I hope my students accomplish by the end of the year is an appreciation for and a love of history!