I have been the 4th-grade teacher at Miramonte since 2009. Before coming to Miramonte, I was a teaching principal for four years.  Eight years before moving to California, I taught various subject areas ranging from Kindergarten through 12th grade at an SDA School in Dallas, Texas.

I co-founded and sponsor our Miramonte after-school Technology Club program and am the Tournament Director for our region’s Adventist FIRST Lego League Challenge. I am a mentor teacher for our conference and am a member of Who’s Who among America’s Teachers.

I have a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Education with endorsements in General Science, Reading, English, and Jr. Academy Religion. I also hold both a state teacher license and denominational SDA teacher certification.

My wife, Leah, and I have been happily married since 2001 and are blessed with two beautiful children, a son, and a daughter.  I enjoy traveling the country and the world with my family. I also enjoy snowboarding and road bike riding as well as playing the ukulele and singing praise music for my Lord!

My Classroom Philosophy

I believe that all children are eager to learn and have an innate curiosity for wanting to know more.  As their teacher, my best efforts go into supporting parents by providing a rich and structured Christ-like environment that meets both students’ and parents’ educational goals.

In my classroom, I strive to create authentic learning experiences that allow my students to understand how things work in the real world.  I want my students to take what they’ve learned and make it meaningful and practical in their daily lives. I also want them to consider how they can be of service to others in their own community.  My students have described me as passionate about all things STEAM related.  My classroom is full of building tools and materials, a Maker-space of sorts, electronic gadgets like drones and robots, and other devices that students can assemble or take apart.

I am not afraid of slimy or crawly creatures so I have an aquarium with fish that students care for and a terrarium for insects and reptiles for up-close observation.  My students also experience coding and robotics in the classroom along with creative building projects using the Design thinking process.  Most of what we do is hands-on deep thinking work.  I don’t mind making a mess, so long as students are excited about learning and help with the cleanup afterward.  I also transform our classroom into a mini city where, as the City Mayor, I “employ” my students in various city jobs that help run the “city”.  Our goal is to always run the city as a TEAM–Together Everyone Achieves More!

Why I Choose to Work in Christian Education
As a teacher’s kid and a pastor’s kid, following in their ministerial footsteps was not really my initial desire as a young person, but God had better plans for me.  He closed doors and windows to other college pathways and made it very clear that Education was the calling I needed to answer.  As soon as I took that first Education course I knew right away that this was what God wanted me to do.

My child-like fascination for learning new things have never really faded away. I fine great satisfaction in team- working with parents, whose only desire is ever really to do their very best for their children. I believe that it takes a village to raise the child—home, school, and church.  As a parent myself, I understand the importance of raising children in a Christ-centered environment centered on the Bible truth.  I am proud to be a Seventh-day Adventist educator.  I am so blessed to be teaching and learning with children each and every day!