***IMPORTANT NOTICE***

All course resources and communications should be transmitted through the Schoology application. All students are enrolled in my class through this application. Notifications and messages are linked to my school email account. Please use Schoology as the primary tool for everything relating to the course. 

 COURSES TAUGHT 2021 - 2022 School Year

American Government: The past 5 years my primary focus of instruction has been teaching American Government. This course is typically taken by 11th and 12th grade students as it is the final mandatory course needed for graduation in the Social Studies curriculum.  The American Government class is primarily based on the principles instilled into the U.S. Constitution by America's Founding Fathers. This course focuses on the functions and role of our federal government and its relationship to state governments and citizens.

Economics & Personal Finance: This Social Studies elective is new for the 2021 - 2022 school year. Geared towards students planning on attending a 4-year undergraduate program, this course was developed to meet the district mandated element of personal finance instruction while at the same time exposing students to the basic principles of free-market economics. Course topics touch on both microeconomic fundamentals (supply and demand), and macroeconomic factors affecting the economy such as the Federal Reserve system. A wide-range of personal finance topics are also incorporated into course material, such as stock market investment and paying taxes. 

Vietnam War Survey: One of the most divisive military efforts in United States history since the Civil War was the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War has been a subject of widely-differing opinions over whether or not America should have involved itself in this bloody and hard-fought conflict. This elective course will examine the history of the Vietnam War. It will provide the historical background that set the stage for the conflict, the events that led directly to the war, the major issues involved at home and abroad, and an overview of the major battles.

 ABOUT ME

The first thing I'd like anyone to know is that I am a Northern graduate (2001). My experience here as a student was the main reason why I wanted to come back to teach.  Northern is quite simply a great place to be. I have lived in this community most of my life. I truly enjoy the small town atmosphere of our school district, and the close ties that form as a result. I developed a passion for studying history and social studies at a young age and that passion has continued to this day now as a teacher.  I hope to instill that same passion in my students.  I enjoy engaging young people in the wide array of topics that is covered in the social studies curriculum here at Northern. I graduated with a B.A. in History from Susquehanna University in 2009.  I also have served time in the U.S. Army Reserve for 8 years.

My goal as a Social Studies teacher is to make students aware of some of the most important ideas, events, and people that have a profound effect on the way American citizens live their lives. Our ability as citizens to make sense of the history of our nation, government, and economic system plays a key role in preventing the fissures that all too often erupt in our society today. Throughout the year, I hope to broaden the worldview of all students in the classroom by confronting the issues we face both as individuals and as people of a great nation.

"Education is not a mechanical system it is a human system"