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PBL: Agency & Depth Ingersoll Home Learn More Inspiration About the Author |
About The Author
My students are human first and foremost. That is my philosophy on teaching. That is what drives me.
I grew up as the oldest of four younger brothers in a bayside town in California. Beyond being the oldest sibling, many of my early experiences came from working in my parents’ restaurant within the bustling environment of the San Francisco Bay Area. Throughout my youth and early adulthood I gained skills in compromise, collaboration, and empathy that were fostered by the environment I existed and worked within. My world was full of a wide range of interesting and diverse perspectives. By my early 20’s, I had gained a love for humanity, a passion for business, and zero thoughts towards teaching.
I graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2017 with a B.S. in Economics. Three weeks after graduation, I moved myself to Southern California to begin working for a large logistics company as an operations supervisor. I was excited to enter the corporate world and take my love for business to the next level. My day-to-day responsibilities included maintaining and improving productivity... But as time went on, I realized that many of my interactions mirrored that of the life I had lived during my time in that little bay area restaurant. The daily mentorship, teamwork, and collaboration was all so familiar.
That realization planted a seed of an idea that changed the path of my life. I started to understand that one of the things I loved most about humanity was the ability to communicate and discuss new ideas. I started to piece together my past experiences in both my professional and personal life. I further realized that I had a tendency to seek out environments where I could help others develop skills, solve problems, and come up with new ideas. It turns out that I previously had zero thoughts towards becoming a teacher because, in many respects, I had already been fulfilling that role in various stages of my life.
It was shortly after that initial idea when I decided to quit my corporate job. I moved back to the Bay Area, started my credentialing program at Touro University, and secured a substitute teaching position. Since then, my passion for teaching and understanding how to foster learning has only grown. That being said, it seemed like the aspects of learning that I was most passionate about were missing from many classroom environments. I wanted to understand why learning in the classroom looked so different from the skill development and tools for cognitive growth that happened seemingly everywhere else. Furthermore, I wanted to change it. Once my credentialing classes concluded, I immediately enrolled in the Innovative Learning Program at Touro University in pursuit of my Master’s Degree.
I am driven to create the collaborative and explorative learning environments that are at the root of my passion for teaching. I currently work as a high school world history teacher where I try to implement practices and tools that foster that environment. I plan to use my Master’s to further develop a more inquiry based learning experience where students are encouraged to be curious and creative. This is with the goal of creating lifelong learners who do not view school as a passive experience, but rather a place to tackle challenges, explore new ideas, and discover what drives them.
I grew up as the oldest of four younger brothers in a bayside town in California. Beyond being the oldest sibling, many of my early experiences came from working in my parents’ restaurant within the bustling environment of the San Francisco Bay Area. Throughout my youth and early adulthood I gained skills in compromise, collaboration, and empathy that were fostered by the environment I existed and worked within. My world was full of a wide range of interesting and diverse perspectives. By my early 20’s, I had gained a love for humanity, a passion for business, and zero thoughts towards teaching.
I graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2017 with a B.S. in Economics. Three weeks after graduation, I moved myself to Southern California to begin working for a large logistics company as an operations supervisor. I was excited to enter the corporate world and take my love for business to the next level. My day-to-day responsibilities included maintaining and improving productivity... But as time went on, I realized that many of my interactions mirrored that of the life I had lived during my time in that little bay area restaurant. The daily mentorship, teamwork, and collaboration was all so familiar.
That realization planted a seed of an idea that changed the path of my life. I started to understand that one of the things I loved most about humanity was the ability to communicate and discuss new ideas. I started to piece together my past experiences in both my professional and personal life. I further realized that I had a tendency to seek out environments where I could help others develop skills, solve problems, and come up with new ideas. It turns out that I previously had zero thoughts towards becoming a teacher because, in many respects, I had already been fulfilling that role in various stages of my life.
It was shortly after that initial idea when I decided to quit my corporate job. I moved back to the Bay Area, started my credentialing program at Touro University, and secured a substitute teaching position. Since then, my passion for teaching and understanding how to foster learning has only grown. That being said, it seemed like the aspects of learning that I was most passionate about were missing from many classroom environments. I wanted to understand why learning in the classroom looked so different from the skill development and tools for cognitive growth that happened seemingly everywhere else. Furthermore, I wanted to change it. Once my credentialing classes concluded, I immediately enrolled in the Innovative Learning Program at Touro University in pursuit of my Master’s Degree.
I am driven to create the collaborative and explorative learning environments that are at the root of my passion for teaching. I currently work as a high school world history teacher where I try to implement practices and tools that foster that environment. I plan to use my Master’s to further develop a more inquiry based learning experience where students are encouraged to be curious and creative. This is with the goal of creating lifelong learners who do not view school as a passive experience, but rather a place to tackle challenges, explore new ideas, and discover what drives them.
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ReflectionI have learned a lot. When I look back a Grace from two years ago, I smile a bit. I think of all the research and work I have done. My perspectives have changed on certain things, and have simply been broadened on others. And as cheesy as it sounds, the hardest part about this research project has been the continual discovery of "knowing how much I do not know".
I am proud of Cohort 21, I am proud of this project, and I am proud of myself. There were many unforeseen challenges that arose throughout this process, creating complications that required patience, flexibility, and plain grit. I have been shown grace and support through all of it, making it possible for me to succeed. Our students are much the same. Their lives come with successes and challenges. As educators, it is our job to meet them where they are. I am grateful for the amazing humans, resources, and connections I have been able to discover through this Innovative Learning Program. I am better for it. Read My Blog- HERE
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