Adventure Quest's legacy

Experiencing and witnessing the affects of low self esteem and students who have very little resources or support at home.

--Geoffrey Canada, "Our Schools failing: Enough is Enough" TED Talks

Schools need to change

banks, technology have all grown and changed, why haven't schools. banks decided to open up after people get home from work, opened up on Saturdays.

State tests, give great data, but don't get scores back in time to do anything.  Lets have the continual calendar for schools to decrease the amount of time students have off away from academic stimulus and gain more time to actually put the Testing data to use.

Schools have to innovate and take risks.

yes you will have failure, but keep on creating. charter schools are good risks.

--bill gates said simply 5 billion on education could make huge impact on leveling the playing field in education.

- help us be teachers and parents. Elizabeth warren study.

Knowing how much a few kind words and someone's encouragement actually helps-7th grade Mr. Scarborro encouraging me to teach a lesson on the Heart in 7th grade science class. Turned my whole life around to focus on Academic Success

This set me on a career path to make sure I'm involved with teaching at schools where there is a diverse population with a high ratio with Socio economic needs. I want to make sure that I can help and encourage teachers to not only work hard but Show students they Love hard too.

I spent 15 years working in LA and SS- I consistently had above average performances (Meets &/or Exceeds) from most of my students. Teachers from other schools would observe me and say that they are teaching in a very similar fashion, and all I could add is that I take time to learn about my students and I tell them that i love them and appreciate them. That is really all I do. I eventually got into PE and now I have my own class that I've been able to really create new units for team building, leadership training, trust activities and overall just encouraging everyone to be the best themselves that they can be and teach acceptance and awareness of each other.

I believe that my class is very important with all my students. Maslow's Hierarchy of needs states level one physiological air, food, level two safety, level 3 love and belonging, 4 self esteem,, 5 self actualization. Before students can truly see their potential in life and have that moment of self actualization, they have to be loved, feel that they belong, and develop some self esteem. Adventure Quest does that. They practice speaking in front of their peers, they catch each other in Trust activities, they post work and art in my room so they know they belong, only positive comments are allowed, and they are taught how to perform turn taking conversations. Listening to each other shows you care and accept.  

 I teach students who raise and ride horses and students who do not eat dinner regularly. I bring them together to find commonalities and form friendships that cross social and economic lines. My job is to reach all my students and have them grow stronger, more trusting, more accepting, tolerant, confident leaders, encouragers, and positive role models.