Each January, What’s Up? Annapolis publishes the annual Private School Guide, introducing readers to the wealth ofbralternative education options available within Anne Arundel County. There are, no doubt, many amazing teachers atbrthese institutions. And we would like to introduce you to some of them.
brMeet our What’s Up? Teachers—private school teachers who go above and beyond their classroom duties to not only educate and inspire their students, but engage the school community as a whole. We all remember a special teacher during our own formative years who guided us in and out of the classroom and had a profound influence on our development and that of others. The following teachers are doing the same for this generation of students.br
Photography by TONY LEWIS, JR.
Degree: Concordia Teacher’s College, RiverbrForest, IL
Years teaching: 39
Years teaching at current school: 20
Grades and subjects taught: LanguagebrArts, Math, Science, Social Studies, andbrReligious Studies (1st/2nd); Gifted andbrTalented program (1st–8th)
Proudest teaching moment? Each daybrI have the honor and joy of teachingbralongside one of my former first gradebrstudents. She is now the second gradebrteacher at St. Martin’s. She told me shebrwanted to spend her first years as a teacherbrin the school where she spent some of herbrhappiest days. That is an amazing tribute,brnot only to me, but to all the teachers whobrtouched her life in our school.
Summarize your teaching philosophy:brI strive to model what I endeavor to teach.
brbrIn your opinion, what is the toughestbrchallenge educators have and how arebryou working to overcome it? Creatingbrbalance in education. As technologybrbecomes a larger factor in classroombrinstruction, it is important to balance thebruse of these amazing tools with a continuedbrfocus on what are still the essentials ofbra good education. Mastering the basicsbrof phonics, reading, and math facts;brgood social interaction; and good studybrhabits will continue to remain importantbrregardless of the tools used to enhance anybrclassroom. At the root of all of this is thebrcontinuing need for students to learn self-disciplinebrand self-confidence.
brbr“Mrs. Miller engages and nurtures each child to prepare them for a great start with their education. It is not unusual for her to work with a child during her lunch or after school if she can assist them. She makes learning fun and has a wonderful manner that connects with her students. She is a real blessing.”
brMeet our What’s Up? Teachers—private school teachers who go above and beyond their classroom duties to not only educate and inspire their students, but engage the school community as a whole. We all remember a special teacher during our own formative years who guided us in and out of the classroom and had a profound influence on our development and that of others. The following teachers are doing the same for this generation of students.br
Photography by TONY LEWIS, JR.
Lynn Miller
brST. MARTIN’S LUTHERAN SCHOOL OF ANNAPOLISDegree: Concordia Teacher’s College, RiverbrForest, IL
Years teaching: 39
Years teaching at current school: 20
Grades and subjects taught: LanguagebrArts, Math, Science, Social Studies, andbrReligious Studies (1st/2nd); Gifted andbrTalented program (1st–8th)
Proudest teaching moment? Each daybrI have the honor and joy of teachingbralongside one of my former first gradebrstudents. She is now the second gradebrteacher at St. Martin’s. She told me shebrwanted to spend her first years as a teacherbrin the school where she spent some of herbrhappiest days. That is an amazing tribute,brnot only to me, but to all the teachers whobrtouched her life in our school.
Summarize your teaching philosophy:brI strive to model what I endeavor to teach.
brbrIn your opinion, what is the toughestbrchallenge educators have and how arebryou working to overcome it? Creatingbrbalance in education. As technologybrbecomes a larger factor in classroombrinstruction, it is important to balance thebruse of these amazing tools with a continuedbrfocus on what are still the essentials ofbra good education. Mastering the basicsbrof phonics, reading, and math facts;brgood social interaction; and good studybrhabits will continue to remain importantbrregardless of the tools used to enhance anybrclassroom. At the root of all of this is thebrcontinuing need for students to learn self-disciplinebrand self-confidence.
brbr“Mrs. Miller engages and nurtures each child to prepare them for a great start with their education. It is not unusual for her to work with a child during her lunch or after school if she can assist them. She makes learning fun and has a wonderful manner that connects with her students. She is a real blessing.”
—Carol Campbell, Director of Admissions of St. Martin's Lutheran School of Annapolis
Degree: Virginia Tech, B.S. in Forestrybrand Wildlife and M.S. in Forestry
Years teaching: 15
Years teaching at current school: 14
Grades and subjects taught: Introductionbrto Environmental Science (9th/10th),brChemistry (10th), AP EnvironmentalbrScience (11th/12th); is the 11th gradebrClass Dean and the Director of the James M. Stine Environmental Center (SEC)
Proudest teaching moment? When mybrformer students return and tell me howbrprepared they were for their college sciencebrcourses.
Summarize your teaching philosophy:brTo know and value the students placedbrin my charge, help them reach theirbrindividual potential, and instill in them abrlifelong love of the environment.
In your opinion, what is the toughestbrchallenge educators have and how arebryou working to overcome it? For usbrin science, it is often walking the finebrline between teaching the content of abrcourse and the practical application ofbrthat content through lab experience. Ibram fortunate enough to have the SECbrwhere I can take my students to work outbrin the fi eld what they are learning in thebrclassroom. Also, with our one-to-one iPadbrprogram at Severn it is possible to collectbrdata in the fi eld and quickly analyze andbrinterpret that data in “real time.”
brbr“Phil is beautifully organized, thoroughly reliable, and utterly competent. He isbrbroadly well informed and extremely articulate and persuasive on his feet and inbrwriting. In the classroom, not only are his lessons at every level well planned, butbrPhil is also careful to ensure that each student thoroughly understands all content andbrprocesses. Phil is popular with students for the right reasons. He holds and articulatesbra high standard and helps students reach that standard by genuinely caring for eachbrand every student.”
Philip Lenham
SEVERN SCHOOLDegree: Virginia Tech, B.S. in Forestrybrand Wildlife and M.S. in Forestry
Years teaching: 15
Years teaching at current school: 14
Grades and subjects taught: Introductionbrto Environmental Science (9th/10th),brChemistry (10th), AP EnvironmentalbrScience (11th/12th); is the 11th gradebrClass Dean and the Director of the James M. Stine Environmental Center (SEC)
Proudest teaching moment? When mybrformer students return and tell me howbrprepared they were for their college sciencebrcourses.
Summarize your teaching philosophy:brTo know and value the students placedbrin my charge, help them reach theirbrindividual potential, and instill in them abrlifelong love of the environment.
In your opinion, what is the toughestbrchallenge educators have and how arebryou working to overcome it? For usbrin science, it is often walking the finebrline between teaching the content of abrcourse and the practical application ofbrthat content through lab experience. Ibram fortunate enough to have the SECbrwhere I can take my students to work outbrin the fi eld what they are learning in thebrclassroom. Also, with our one-to-one iPadbrprogram at Severn it is possible to collectbrdata in the fi eld and quickly analyze andbrinterpret that data in “real time.”
brbr“Phil is beautifully organized, thoroughly reliable, and utterly competent. He isbrbroadly well informed and extremely articulate and persuasive on his feet and inbrwriting. In the classroom, not only are his lessons at every level well planned, butbrPhil is also careful to ensure that each student thoroughly understands all content andbrprocesses. Phil is popular with students for the right reasons. He holds and articulatesbra high standard and helps students reach that standard by genuinely caring for eachbrand every student.”
—Douglas H. Lagarde, Head of School of Severn School
Degree: Loyola University Maryland
Years teaching: 22
Years teaching at current school: 9
Grades and subjects taught: All subjects,brmost recently Language Arts (3rd–7th)
Proudest teaching moment? A studentbrwho struggled with learning difficultiesbrinvited me to her 8th grade graduation,brfor which she gave a speech as the 8thbrgrade class president. She mentioned inbrher speech that she learned to believe inbrherself after having me as her 4th and 5thbrgrade teacher. I was so proud to see herbrdelivering the speech as the class president,brand I was quite humbled as she mentionedbrme in this way in her speech.
Summarize your teaching philosophy: Ibrstrive to meet the needs of all of mybrstudents by providing enriching, engaging,brand, at times, entertaining approaches tobrthe learning environment.
In your opinion, what is the toughestbrchallenge educators have and how arebryou working to overcome it? I wouldbrrather consider the challenges facingbreducators as we are lifelong learners. AsbrI approach a challenge, I look at it as anbropportunity for learning. Right now,brI am in the process of learning how tobrincorporate technological advances intobrmy daily language arts instruction.
brbr“Patricia truly exemplifies the qualities of a Catholic educator while demonstrating the numerous skills of a master teacher. Mrs. Bisson takes time to build and promote community, and she has an established rapport with her students and families.”
Patricia Bisson
brST. MARY’S ELEMENTARY SCHOOLDegree: Loyola University Maryland
Years teaching: 22
Years teaching at current school: 9
Grades and subjects taught: All subjects,brmost recently Language Arts (3rd–7th)
Proudest teaching moment? A studentbrwho struggled with learning difficultiesbrinvited me to her 8th grade graduation,brfor which she gave a speech as the 8thbrgrade class president. She mentioned inbrher speech that she learned to believe inbrherself after having me as her 4th and 5thbrgrade teacher. I was so proud to see herbrdelivering the speech as the class president,brand I was quite humbled as she mentionedbrme in this way in her speech.
Summarize your teaching philosophy: Ibrstrive to meet the needs of all of mybrstudents by providing enriching, engaging,brand, at times, entertaining approaches tobrthe learning environment.
In your opinion, what is the toughestbrchallenge educators have and how arebryou working to overcome it? I wouldbrrather consider the challenges facingbreducators as we are lifelong learners. AsbrI approach a challenge, I look at it as anbropportunity for learning. Right now,brI am in the process of learning how tobrincorporate technological advances intobrmy daily language arts instruction.
brbr“Patricia truly exemplifies the qualities of a Catholic educator while demonstrating the numerous skills of a master teacher. Mrs. Bisson takes time to build and promote community, and she has an established rapport with her students and families.”
—Megan Back, Director of Admissions of St. Mary's Elementary
Degree: McDaniel College, Westminster
Years teaching: 4
Years teaching at current school: 4
Grades and subjects taught: Reading andbrEnglish (1st–5th)
Proudest teaching moment? Earlier thisbryear, I was emailed a video from the motherbrof one of my students. It was a video of herbr2nd grade daughter explaining that she hadbrfinally learned to read and how life wouldbrbe “so much more amazing.” The videobrbrought me to tears. Our students strugglebrwith reading, and so many of them comebrto Summit from other environments wherebrthey had negative experiences and terriblebrconfidence in themselves. Whenever youbrwitness those light bulbs going on, it's anbrincredible feeling.
Summarize your teaching philosophy:brTo engage, encourage, nurture, and inspirebreach student.
In your opinion, what is the toughestbrchallenge educators have and how arebryou working to overcome it? Each ofbrour students shine brightly in their ownbrway, and it’s my job to engage with eachbrof them according to what motivates thembrindividually, and then set up a stimulatingbrand rigorous, yet neurologically safe,brenvironment that helps them each reachbrtheir own potential. To meet that challenge,brI seek many opportunities for professionalbrdevelopment, both informal and formal.
brbr“Among Summit School’s constellation of stellar instructors is a particular shining star, Kelly Rampmeyer, who sparkles brightly because she embodies all of the qualities that make a “great” teacher. Not only does Kelly use her estimable skill and creativity to meet her students’ diverse instructional needs, she also finds time, inside and outside of school, for activities that add fun to learning and that bring our community together.”
Kelly Rampmeyer
brTHE SUMMIT SCHOOLDegree: McDaniel College, Westminster
Years teaching: 4
Years teaching at current school: 4
Grades and subjects taught: Reading andbrEnglish (1st–5th)
Proudest teaching moment? Earlier thisbryear, I was emailed a video from the motherbrof one of my students. It was a video of herbr2nd grade daughter explaining that she hadbrfinally learned to read and how life wouldbrbe “so much more amazing.” The videobrbrought me to tears. Our students strugglebrwith reading, and so many of them comebrto Summit from other environments wherebrthey had negative experiences and terriblebrconfidence in themselves. Whenever youbrwitness those light bulbs going on, it's anbrincredible feeling.
Summarize your teaching philosophy:brTo engage, encourage, nurture, and inspirebreach student.
In your opinion, what is the toughestbrchallenge educators have and how arebryou working to overcome it? Each ofbrour students shine brightly in their ownbrway, and it’s my job to engage with eachbrof them according to what motivates thembrindividually, and then set up a stimulatingbrand rigorous, yet neurologically safe,brenvironment that helps them each reachbrtheir own potential. To meet that challenge,brI seek many opportunities for professionalbrdevelopment, both informal and formal.
brbr“Among Summit School’s constellation of stellar instructors is a particular shining star, Kelly Rampmeyer, who sparkles brightly because she embodies all of the qualities that make a “great” teacher. Not only does Kelly use her estimable skill and creativity to meet her students’ diverse instructional needs, she also finds time, inside and outside of school, for activities that add fun to learning and that bring our community together.”
—Dr. Joan Mele-McCarthy, CCC-SLP, Executive Director of The Summit School
Degree: West Virginia Wesleyan College,brB.A.
Years teaching: 18
Years teaching at current school: 10
Grades and subjects taught: Philosophybr(5th); English, History, and Geographybr(6th); Philosophy and Leadership (7th);brHistory (8th)
Proudest teaching moment? I read aloudbrthe novel A Long Walk to Water as a focusbrand listening long-term lesson. When webrgot to the end of the book—everyone wasbrteary eyed—and the class exploded intobrspontaneous applause. We talked excitedlybrabout how it was the best ending of abrbook—ever! The next day, they asked if webrcould read the ending again.
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy: When my students leave me,brmy hope is that they will possess a sense ofbrawareness—of themselves and of the worldbrin which they live.
In your opinion, what is the toughestbrchallenge educators have and how arebryou working to overcome it? Learningbris a highly individualized process. Often,brpresenting one thing—one way tobra group of students—will not elicitbrlearning. It takes multiple approachesbrand materials. The challenge is inbrboth—teaching so everyone can learn andbrin allowing them to express what they’vebrslurped up in ways that complementbrtheir learning styles and interests. It takesbrcreativity and flexibility.
brbr“Tracy is an exemplary teacher, always looking for innovative ways to lead her students to question, discover, and connect. Openness to the world is a key tenet of Tracy’s teaching. Helping her students learn to read with insight and empathy is important to Tracy. In addition to her classroom teaching, Tracy is the middle school team lead teacher, helping to acclimate new teachers, coordinate events, and provide professional development for other teachers.”
Tracy Alexander
brST. MARTIN’S-IN-THE-FIELD EPISCOPAL SCHOOLDegree: West Virginia Wesleyan College,brB.A.
Years teaching: 18
Years teaching at current school: 10
Grades and subjects taught: Philosophybr(5th); English, History, and Geographybr(6th); Philosophy and Leadership (7th);brHistory (8th)
Proudest teaching moment? I read aloudbrthe novel A Long Walk to Water as a focusbrand listening long-term lesson. When webrgot to the end of the book—everyone wasbrteary eyed—and the class exploded intobrspontaneous applause. We talked excitedlybrabout how it was the best ending of abrbook—ever! The next day, they asked if webrcould read the ending again.
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy: When my students leave me,brmy hope is that they will possess a sense ofbrawareness—of themselves and of the worldbrin which they live.
In your opinion, what is the toughestbrchallenge educators have and how arebryou working to overcome it? Learningbris a highly individualized process. Often,brpresenting one thing—one way tobra group of students—will not elicitbrlearning. It takes multiple approachesbrand materials. The challenge is inbrboth—teaching so everyone can learn andbrin allowing them to express what they’vebrslurped up in ways that complementbrtheir learning styles and interests. It takesbrcreativity and flexibility.
brbr“Tracy is an exemplary teacher, always looking for innovative ways to lead her students to question, discover, and connect. Openness to the world is a key tenet of Tracy’s teaching. Helping her students learn to read with insight and empathy is important to Tracy. In addition to her classroom teaching, Tracy is the middle school team lead teacher, helping to acclimate new teachers, coordinate events, and provide professional development for other teachers.”
—Rev. Dr. Frank Sawyer, Head of School of St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Episcopal School
Degree: University of MarylandbrUniversity College, M.A. in Teaching;brUniversity of Maryland, M.B.A.; PennbrState University, B.S. in InformationbrSystems
Years teaching: 7
Years teaching at current school: 7
Grades and subjects taught: ProjectbrLead the Way Pathway to Engineeringbrprogram (9th/10th)
Proudest teaching moment? I think mybrproudest moments pass me by withoutbrme even knowing. It’s when studentsbrreturn for a visit and share with mebrwhat they are doing now and how mybrclasses have influenced their path. Thosebrmoments are the best!
Summarize your teaching philosophy:br“Teach the whole person.” I’m not justbrteaching engineering—I’m teachingbrstudents how to treat others, askbrquestions, advocate for themselves,brcontribute to the community, givebrpresentations, work through frustration,brcommunicate effectively, think forbrthemselves.
In your opinion, what is the toughestbrchallenge educators have and how arebryou working to overcome it? Balance.brAs teachers, we teach our content area,brbut there are so many other things webrtry to weave into our lessons: criticalbrreading skills, data analysis, technology,brsocial media, wikis, learning managementbrsystems, apps, ethics, morals, history, testbrtaking strategies, behavior modification,briPads, SmartBoards, life lessons, currentbrevents, interesting facts—the list goes onbrand on. As teachers, we are always tryingbrto find the right balance of content,brstrategies, technology, and classroombrmanagement to deliver awe-inspiringbrlessons to help our students grow.
brbr“Mrs. Brunner has broadened the learning experience for our students so that it is far beyond the typical daily classroom. She makes our students feel welcomed and part of the experience. Her ability to connect so well on the human level, and explain such difficult technical material, is remarkable! In addition, she has an unmatched work ethic and goes out of her way to help students. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated educator.”
Amy Brunner
brARCHBISHOP SPALDINGDegree: University of MarylandbrUniversity College, M.A. in Teaching;brUniversity of Maryland, M.B.A.; PennbrState University, B.S. in InformationbrSystems
Years teaching: 7
Years teaching at current school: 7
Grades and subjects taught: ProjectbrLead the Way Pathway to Engineeringbrprogram (9th/10th)
Proudest teaching moment? I think mybrproudest moments pass me by withoutbrme even knowing. It’s when studentsbrreturn for a visit and share with mebrwhat they are doing now and how mybrclasses have influenced their path. Thosebrmoments are the best!
Summarize your teaching philosophy:br“Teach the whole person.” I’m not justbrteaching engineering—I’m teachingbrstudents how to treat others, askbrquestions, advocate for themselves,brcontribute to the community, givebrpresentations, work through frustration,brcommunicate effectively, think forbrthemselves.
In your opinion, what is the toughestbrchallenge educators have and how arebryou working to overcome it? Balance.brAs teachers, we teach our content area,brbut there are so many other things webrtry to weave into our lessons: criticalbrreading skills, data analysis, technology,brsocial media, wikis, learning managementbrsystems, apps, ethics, morals, history, testbrtaking strategies, behavior modification,briPads, SmartBoards, life lessons, currentbrevents, interesting facts—the list goes onbrand on. As teachers, we are always tryingbrto find the right balance of content,brstrategies, technology, and classroombrmanagement to deliver awe-inspiringbrlessons to help our students grow.
brbr“Mrs. Brunner has broadened the learning experience for our students so that it is far beyond the typical daily classroom. She makes our students feel welcomed and part of the experience. Her ability to connect so well on the human level, and explain such difficult technical material, is remarkable! In addition, she has an unmatched work ethic and goes out of her way to help students. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated educator.”
—Lewis Van Wambeke, Principal of Archbishop Spalding High School
Degree: M.A.L.A. from St. John’sbrCollege graduate program
Years teaching: 15
Years teaching at current school: 15
Grades and subjects taught: HonorsbrPhilosophy (11th/12th), Public ForumbrDebate (8th–12th)
Proudest teaching moment? Tobrbehold the transformation of abrparticular young lady. When I firstbrtaught this “concrete” thinker backbrin 7th grade, I could not imagine herbrsucceeding in my junior and seniorbrlevel Great Ideas courses. Interestingly,brwhen that day finally came, I had the honor of serving as her thesisbradvisor. She chose as her topicbr(ready for this?) the integration ofbrAristotle’s philosophy of happinessbrin the theology of ThomasbrAquinas. And then the final nightbrof the senior year arrived, thebrnight of their public thesis defense.brThis singular moment was thebrcapstone of her training. Andbrthen it happened. The butterflybrburst free. Gone was the blackbrand white mind of that charmingbrlittle 7th grade deer in thebrheadlights. In her place stood anbrelegant, poised, and sophisticatedbrrhetorician, who delivered onebrof the best speeches, and gavebrone of the best defenses, of thebrentire evening. The capstone ofbrher studies became, in a sense, thebrcapstone of my teaching. It justbrdoesn’t get any better than that.
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy: “True teachers arebrthose who use themselves asbrbridges over which they invitebrtheir students to cross; then,brhaving facilitated their crossing,brjoyfully collapse…”—NikosbrKazantzakis
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge educatorsbrhave and how are you workingbrto overcome it? The toughestbrchallenge to educators today is thebrsame as in Plato’s day—how tobrinstill a love for what ought to bebrloved. There is no silver bullet, nobrformulaic, three-step method. It’sbrmore along the lines of what thebrmilitary calls “total war,” involvingbrthe unrestrained mobilizationbrof all one’s forces: the force ofbrlogic, of passion, of modeling,brof experimenting, of failing andbrtrying again, and, perhaps mostbrimportantly, of you yourself lovingbrin front of them the things theybrought to love.
brbr“Bradley Finkbeiner provides the moral compass for Rockbridge Academy.brA trusted advisor to other teachers, a confi dant of administrators, and abrfaithful mentor to high school students, Bradley is the teacher we all wishbrthat we had in high school. He completely pours himself into his teachingbrand students. His classrooms are lively places of discussion, discourse,brdebate, and learning due to his engaging and innovative teaching.”
Bradley Finkbeiner
brROCKBRIDGE ACADEMYDegree: M.A.L.A. from St. John’sbrCollege graduate program
Years teaching: 15
Years teaching at current school: 15
Grades and subjects taught: HonorsbrPhilosophy (11th/12th), Public ForumbrDebate (8th–12th)
Proudest teaching moment? Tobrbehold the transformation of abrparticular young lady. When I firstbrtaught this “concrete” thinker backbrin 7th grade, I could not imagine herbrsucceeding in my junior and seniorbrlevel Great Ideas courses. Interestingly,brwhen that day finally came, I had the honor of serving as her thesisbradvisor. She chose as her topicbr(ready for this?) the integration ofbrAristotle’s philosophy of happinessbrin the theology of ThomasbrAquinas. And then the final nightbrof the senior year arrived, thebrnight of their public thesis defense.brThis singular moment was thebrcapstone of her training. Andbrthen it happened. The butterflybrburst free. Gone was the blackbrand white mind of that charmingbrlittle 7th grade deer in thebrheadlights. In her place stood anbrelegant, poised, and sophisticatedbrrhetorician, who delivered onebrof the best speeches, and gavebrone of the best defenses, of thebrentire evening. The capstone ofbrher studies became, in a sense, thebrcapstone of my teaching. It justbrdoesn’t get any better than that.
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy: “True teachers arebrthose who use themselves asbrbridges over which they invitebrtheir students to cross; then,brhaving facilitated their crossing,brjoyfully collapse…”—NikosbrKazantzakis
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge educatorsbrhave and how are you workingbrto overcome it? The toughestbrchallenge to educators today is thebrsame as in Plato’s day—how tobrinstill a love for what ought to bebrloved. There is no silver bullet, nobrformulaic, three-step method. It’sbrmore along the lines of what thebrmilitary calls “total war,” involvingbrthe unrestrained mobilizationbrof all one’s forces: the force ofbrlogic, of passion, of modeling,brof experimenting, of failing andbrtrying again, and, perhaps mostbrimportantly, of you yourself lovingbrin front of them the things theybrought to love.
brbr“Bradley Finkbeiner provides the moral compass for Rockbridge Academy.brA trusted advisor to other teachers, a confi dant of administrators, and abrfaithful mentor to high school students, Bradley is the teacher we all wishbrthat we had in high school. He completely pours himself into his teachingbrand students. His classrooms are lively places of discussion, discourse,brdebate, and learning due to his engaging and innovative teaching.”
—Ralph Janikowsky, Upper School Principal of Rockbridge Academy
EMILY
Degree: Towson University,brB.S. in Biology and SecondarybrEducation and a M.A.
Years teaching: 7
Years teaching at currentbrschool: 7
Grades and subjectsbrtaught: Computers (6th–br8th), Earth Science (7th),brEnvironmental Science (9th),brAP Biology (11th/12th), MarinebrBiology (12th), Chemistrybr(10th); Biology (11th),brAnatomy and Physiologybr(12th), Support Teacherbr(9th–12th), and Varsity FieldbrHockey Coachbr
Proudest teachingbrmoment? One of my formerbrstudents came back and told mebrshe was switching her degree tobreducation at her college so shebrcould be a high school teacherbrbecause she wanted to help kidsbr“survive” high school the way Ibrhad helped her survive in highbrschool.br
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy: Make every kidbrknow and feel that I care aboutbrthem, that I am on their sidebrand want them to be successful.br
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge educatorsbrhave and how are you workingbrto overcome it? I think thebrtoughest challenge educatorsbrhave now is trying to help kidsbrbe well balanced, have high self-esteem,brand feel successful withbrhow competitive and drivenbrhigh school has become. I trybrto overcome this by celebratingbrand making a big deal aboutbrany small wins or tiny successbrthat may have happened sobrat some point the kids feelbrsuccessful and hopefullybrhappy, and maybe get a bit ofbrconfidence in themselves.br
WILL
Degree: Franklin & MarshallbrCollege, 2003
Years teaching: 9
Years teaching at currentbrschool: 9
Grades and subjects taught:brGeometry, Topics in Geometry,brHuman Development, Directorbrof Academic Support Program,brDirector of STARs Programbr(9th–11th), and Head BoysbrBasketball Coachbr
Proudest teaching moment?brNothing makes me more proudbrthan to see all young peoplebrand their families being ablebrto pursue higher educationbrthrough the STARs Programbrat Indian Creek [an academicbrcamp and scholarship feederbrprogram that targets Title OnebrAnne Arundel County PublicbrSchools with a high numberbrof participants in the freebrlunch program]. I feel trulybrblessed to be a part of thebrprogram and supported by ourbradministration and families inbrour community.br
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy: I believe the mostbrimportant skills that a studentbrcan take from my classroom arebra sense of self confidence to takebracademic risks, understand theirbrlearning profiles, be a leaderbrthat helps others and can alsobrbe a part of a team concept,brappreciate diversity of all kinds,brand to be able to advocatebrfor themselves in pursuit ofbrtheir goals in and out of thebrclassroom.
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge educatorsbrhave and how are you workingbrto overcome it? The socialbrculture that our students facebrin our current technologicallybradvanced society. With thebrevolution of the Internet andbrcell phones, there is little “socialbrrest” for them. Whether thisbrextends to cyber bullying orbrpeer pressure involving risk-takingbrbehavior, our kids arebrconstantly facing decisions thatbrcan cause severe anxiety andbrstress. Our philosophy at IndianbrCreek revolves around the firstbrbuilding block of developingbra student’s self-esteem to bebrable to fight these pressuresbrand evolve as a young personbrin and out of the classroom.brThe students are given anbropen forum to discuss thesebrfeelings amongst their peersbrand an adult, which also buildsbra feeling of the students andbrteachers forming a united frontbrrather than students versusbrteachers.
brbr“Will and Emily are both exceptional teachers, as wellbras exceptional coaches. They spend an incredible amountbrof time with kids, and foster the kind of teacher/studentbrrelationship that truly helps kids achieve.”br—Rick Branson, Head of School of Indian Creek School
View What's Up? Teachers Eastern Shore
Will andbrEmily Bartz
INDIAN CREEK SCHOOLEMILY
Degree: Towson University,brB.S. in Biology and SecondarybrEducation and a M.A.
Years teaching: 7
Years teaching at currentbrschool: 7
Grades and subjectsbrtaught: Computers (6th–br8th), Earth Science (7th),brEnvironmental Science (9th),brAP Biology (11th/12th), MarinebrBiology (12th), Chemistrybr(10th); Biology (11th),brAnatomy and Physiologybr(12th), Support Teacherbr(9th–12th), and Varsity FieldbrHockey Coachbr
Proudest teachingbrmoment? One of my formerbrstudents came back and told mebrshe was switching her degree tobreducation at her college so shebrcould be a high school teacherbrbecause she wanted to help kidsbr“survive” high school the way Ibrhad helped her survive in highbrschool.br
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy: Make every kidbrknow and feel that I care aboutbrthem, that I am on their sidebrand want them to be successful.br
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge educatorsbrhave and how are you workingbrto overcome it? I think thebrtoughest challenge educatorsbrhave now is trying to help kidsbrbe well balanced, have high self-esteem,brand feel successful withbrhow competitive and drivenbrhigh school has become. I trybrto overcome this by celebratingbrand making a big deal aboutbrany small wins or tiny successbrthat may have happened sobrat some point the kids feelbrsuccessful and hopefullybrhappy, and maybe get a bit ofbrconfidence in themselves.br
WILL
Degree: Franklin & MarshallbrCollege, 2003
Years teaching: 9
Years teaching at currentbrschool: 9
Grades and subjects taught:brGeometry, Topics in Geometry,brHuman Development, Directorbrof Academic Support Program,brDirector of STARs Programbr(9th–11th), and Head BoysbrBasketball Coachbr
Proudest teaching moment?brNothing makes me more proudbrthan to see all young peoplebrand their families being ablebrto pursue higher educationbrthrough the STARs Programbrat Indian Creek [an academicbrcamp and scholarship feederbrprogram that targets Title OnebrAnne Arundel County PublicbrSchools with a high numberbrof participants in the freebrlunch program]. I feel trulybrblessed to be a part of thebrprogram and supported by ourbradministration and families inbrour community.br
Summarize your teachingbrphilosophy: I believe the mostbrimportant skills that a studentbrcan take from my classroom arebra sense of self confidence to takebracademic risks, understand theirbrlearning profiles, be a leaderbrthat helps others and can alsobrbe a part of a team concept,brappreciate diversity of all kinds,brand to be able to advocatebrfor themselves in pursuit ofbrtheir goals in and out of thebrclassroom.
In your opinion, what is thebrtoughest challenge educatorsbrhave and how are you workingbrto overcome it? The socialbrculture that our students facebrin our current technologicallybradvanced society. With thebrevolution of the Internet andbrcell phones, there is little “socialbrrest” for them. Whether thisbrextends to cyber bullying orbrpeer pressure involving risk-takingbrbehavior, our kids arebrconstantly facing decisions thatbrcan cause severe anxiety andbrstress. Our philosophy at IndianbrCreek revolves around the firstbrbuilding block of developingbra student’s self-esteem to bebrable to fight these pressuresbrand evolve as a young personbrin and out of the classroom.brThe students are given anbropen forum to discuss thesebrfeelings amongst their peersbrand an adult, which also buildsbra feeling of the students andbrteachers forming a united frontbrrather than students versusbrteachers.
brbr“Will and Emily are both exceptional teachers, as wellbras exceptional coaches. They spend an incredible amountbrof time with kids, and foster the kind of teacher/studentbrrelationship that truly helps kids achieve.”br—Rick Branson, Head of School of Indian Creek School
View What's Up? Teachers Eastern Shore
