I view education as an essential means of providing children with an expanded opportunity to become socially and personally successful in a world that continues to shrink due to technological advances. Therefore, I believe the classroom is an environment that should encourage and nurture. I chose to pursue a career in secondary teaching in order to become an active participant in such an environment - one that would provide young people with meaningful opportunities to grow into knowledgeable, participating citizens in a rapidly evolving world.
My academic and professional experiences have laid a firm groundwork for a teaching career in the secondary school. I gained an appreciation for the uniqueness of cultures while studying in Estonia on scholarship in 1990. There I taught English to Estonian, Russian, Latvian, and Ukrainian adults and college students, and spoke in grade school classrooms full of shy, ruby-cheeked children. These experiences were immensely rewarding not only because they exposed me to different cultures and belief structures, but also because I had to respect that diversity in the classroom.
Five years in the software industry as a Development Coordinator sharpened my skills in creating streamlined, user-friendly systems, and taught me how to communicate effectively with varied clientele. My planning and design background have found a home in teaching, where I have developed a number of standards-driven unit and lesson plans for students of diverse backgrounds and abilities. (See my M.Ed. Portfolio) The ability to spontaneously adjust presentations to meet the needs of my audience has followed me from the business world as well, where I once trained adults in the philosophy and use of medical software. I have utilized planning and adaptability skills in an equally dynamic classroom setting.
In my most recent teaching experience, I created and taught three different trimester-long courses - tenth grade Debate, eleventh grade Mass Media, and a twelfth grade English course called "Advertising in America - A Critical View." Typical of my classroom is the type of learning where students achieve discipline-based objectives through examining their own lives and surrounding environment. I can also be regularly found volunteering around the school campus. I have served as an assistant on the football staff, played with the jazz band, coached track & field, and aided with drama productions. These activities help me develop meaningful alliances with students and staff, enriching experiences in the classroom and school.
Through my studies I have earned endorsements in four disciplines: Language Arts (English, Speech, Debate, Drama), English as a Second Language, Marketing Education, and Economics. I seek a school with a strong sense of community, where ideas are shared freely in order to further the knowledge and skills of all. I am confident that I would bring a fresh, enthusiastic approach to either the junior or senior high school level. My resume further highlights my other abilities and qualifications, which I look forward to discussing in an interview.
-Russell Rice