I received my BA in English Literature from SUNY New Paltz. After teaching for a number of years in traditional and nontraditional school settings, I decided to work toward a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Secondary Education with a concentration in English Language Arts, which I received from Trinity University in Washington, DC. I am married and a father of two boys, ages one and five. I teach 7th grade literature, and I love to read and discuss how books and the people within those books are reflections of our world and ourselves. When I came to McLean in 2013, I was drawn to our mission to teach students not only skills, but the belief in themselves that will propel them to succeed. With regard to teaching and learning, I have a deep passion for discovering and creating ways for students’ thinking and learning to be made visible to themselves and to others. I value the supportive learning community at McLean that always strives to become better and is not afraid to fail and to learn from those failures. I experience joy when students enjoy learning.