Greetings,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank The Mountain School family for the privilege of working with their children. It is an honor to work with students in developing skills and learning strategies that will serve as the foundation of their life -long, educational journey.
My journey led me to a Bachelors Degree and most recently to a post-graduate Degree and license in Elementary Education. Prior to becoming a teacher, I worked as an organic vegetable-production manager after a multi-year apprenticeship. Due to the (perfectly) short northern growing season I was able to travel to Central America and develop my fluency in Spanish and appreciation for Latin-American culture. Currently, myself, my wife/Karli, and newborn son/Bryce are working to build our farm in Hebron, N.Y. We are both proud parents with a new and healthy appreciation for raising a family.
Foreign Language Skills- My goal is to help develop Spanish speaking fluency and have students be cognitive of their primary language skills. It is often hard to examine the english language without a comparison or different context. As we discuss the grammatical components of a foreign language, students are able to observe how english is structured and provides a frame for all their previous knowledge. Similarly, learning about foreign cultures allows students to understand more about our customs. As students engage in more culturally diverse content they are able to observe our culture in a new light. This allows students to embrace these differences because they understand how our culture might seem "unusual" to an outsider. The goal is to allow students to acquire their (language and
cultural) fluency in similar ways children learn their native language: through songs, stories, games and peer interaction. Students will develop strategies and use technological tools to enhance their skills.
In Physical education, our students will work at monitoring their physical activity as an individual and as a cooperative team member. This year we will also introduce students to skills associated with outdoor education. Students will develop their knowledge in outdoor survival skills and cooperative organization. We will discuss how to handle outdoor emergencies (being lost, severe weather and basic first-aid) and be introduced wilderness navigation. Students will also be working at cooperative (team) building skills that can translate into any content area. Our goal is to provide the physical and mental skill-sets needed to enjoy any outdoor pursuit.
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