At which school in the district do you teach? 

Stroudsburg High School.

What subject do you teach? 

Health and Physical Education classes.

What grades do you teach? 

10th through 12th grades.

How long have you been teaching at SASD? 

18 years.

What is your favorite part about teaching? 

Throughout my career, I have been able to develop meaningful rapports with many students. Knowing that some students come to me for advice lets me know that they have trust in me. As a teacher, making connections, helping students develop skills, and being available when they are in need of help reassures me that this is the kind of work I belong doing. 

What is your favorite sports team? Why are they your favorite?

My favorite sports team is the Penn State Nittany Lions football team. Back in 2002, I had the opportunity to watch my first Penn State game live. I went to State College for the first time and was shocked at how many fans filled the fields around the stadium. The atmosphere really set the tone for the game. A stadium packed with 100,000 fans, cheering and doing the wave was amazing to experience. Running back Larry Johnson became the first Penn State player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season, and a blowout win against Michigan State sealed my first experience. I have tried to attend at least one home each year since. 

Why did you choose the subject that you teach?

Throughout my youth, I was always involved in different sporting activities. I participated in baseball, football, wrestling, and track. It allowed me to socialize with friends, learn new skills, engage in competition, and provide daily exercise. While in junior high school, I started taking interest in weight training to improve strength, size, and confidence. As I started to make gains, I soon started to help teammates and friends to work out. 

While in high school, I started to think about what I would like to do with my future. I thought about my love for sporting activities and my desire to help others based on my career choice. It made sense to me that teaching physical education would be a career that would allow me to enjoy what I do, as well as help other people work on their own fitness. It had nothing to do with wearing shorts all year long. I swear!

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