It’s one thing to believe in the general principles of increasing the civic engagement of youth; it’s quite another to have had the privilege to work towards these goals in a practical and sustained way.  The more I consider it, I think that this has always been a central, underlying goal of mine as a teacher–teaching history lends itself to those kinds of end-goals.

Stretching with the Niece and Nephew and Grandpa

In my professional life, I am–first and foremost–a teacher.  I love how dynamic and ‘possible’ the profession is and in a lot of ways, being involved in curriculum writing, school-leadership and creating differentiated roles for teachers has become an extra sort of avocation.  (I’ve been told by some that I need to find some new hobbies, but I think I’m hooked…)  My teaching experiences are varied–from working a few years post college in an outdoor wilderness program for adjudicated youth, to teaching at leafy New England private school, to my last six years at two BPS schools: the Boston Day and Evening Academy (BDEA) and the Boston Community Leadership Academy (BCLA).  At BCLA in particular, I spent my time setting up the school’s capstone class, for which students ultimately engaged in a civic-engagement focused participatory action research (PAR) process.  That work largely led to my involvement as a lead curriculum writer for this 12th grade BPS Civics curriculum.

I’m excited to be developing and designing this year’s professional development and support series for the teachers of this Civics course.  They and their students, without question, are the ones doing the real work this year–check in with us from time-to-time.

For more information about me, my teaching background, CV and all that good stuff, click here.