John Dewey once wrote, "I believe that education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living." The process of living to which Dewey refers lies in the tension between theory and practice, truth and relationship. Over the last 12 years, I have taught individuals from nine years old to 65 years old and I have explored the process of living as a teacher and as a student.

In the Courage to Teach, Parker Palmer writes, "Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique: good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher." The way in which the teacher engages the process of living is the essence of teaching and learning. Moreover, the identity and integrity of the teacher are essential to the learning process. My best teachers from kindergarten through my recently completed doctorate have exemplified the identity and integrity of which Palmer speaks and have significantly influenced who I am as a person and teacher. I graduated from Wheaton College in 1996 and began teaching fifth grade in a local public school. I spent hours at night and on the weekends preparing lessons and learning experiences for my students. That group of 26 students and their accompanying parents became my family. Over the last 12 years, I have taught fourth through seventh grade outside of Chicago and Nashville, Tenn., and each of my students has impacted me as a teacher. With those students always in mind, I have mentored, coached, developed curriculum, written grants, created summer academies, written state science assessments for a variety of states, and attempted to be a teacher worthy of my students.

In order to develop my skills as an educator, I pursued further degrees. I completed a master's degree in curriculum and technology-integrated instruction in 2000 from Benedictine University. This past May, I completed a doctorate in leadership, policy, and organizations from Vanderbilt University's Peabody College of Education and Human Development. This degree exposed me to the vast world of education beyond my myopic experience as a classroom teacher. Colleagues flew in each weekend for classes from places such as Boston, Denver, Atlanta, and even Birmingham, England. The faculty broadened my perspective about education and gave me the research skills to examine education at a deeper level. Over the past three years, I spent my days teaching in a science lab, coaching basketball, and mentoring teachers. I spent my nights writing and studying for Vanderbilt. My research focused on improving teaching, and more importantly, learning through the use of data. This led me to the U.S. Department of Education's Teaching Ambassador Fellowship, where I hope to impact students' lives from a policy perspective. Three years ago, I could not imagine leaving the classroom for any reason, but I now see the tremendous need for well-informed policy.

When not with middle school students, I like to play tennis, basketball, read, and spend time with my wife of ten years and our three children. Our newest addition just arrived on June 23, 2008.