Professional Biography
I graduated from Dordt College (a Christian liberal arts college in Sioux Center, Iowa) in 2001 with a B.A. in English Secondary Education and a coaching endorsement in Cross Country, Track & Field, and Basketball. I then substitute taught in the Grand Rapids area public schools for approximately 6 months. I have been teaching at Ontario Christian since 2002. I teach A.P. English 12, English 12, Creative Writing, and Media at the high school. I currently coach the Boys Cross Country team. I am the president of the Men’s/Alumni Basketball League here as well. Furthermore, I help direct an occasional play and am the director of the annual Talent Show Extravaganza. I apologize that every single sentence above has started with “I” and any dullness or arrogance associated with this mundanity – a biography ironically should really be all about “me”…
Personal Biography
I grew up in South Holland, IL (a south suburb of Chicago), and am the oldest of 3 children. I was homeschooled through 8th grade and then attended Illiana Christian High School. I love writing, reading, playing the piano, ping pong, running, martial arts, basketball, movies, working construction, and playing cards with friends and family. I hate being cliche – it’s boring yet comfortable and inevitable at times. I would love to pursue a degree in film studies focusing on screenwriting or directing. We will see what God has planned for my future, and I trust my future to Christ’s perfect will… If you have made it this far in my bio, I salute you. More can probably be said here, but I’ll stop for now. If you want to know more in a less professional venue, check out Facebook and maybe I will become your virtual friend.
Philosophical Biography
Neither these hasty words nor any cyber identity will fully capture who we are and what we are doing here… Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Bible, is the only true answer to life’s most essential questions and the only way to salvation. I am thankful for that radical truth. Christ has forgiven me, a wretch in my sin, and holds me in his sovereign grip equipping me with His Holy Spirit. With that said, my classes seek to celebrate writing and to utilize the gifts God has given us to write. God created each one of us with such creative, zany, and complex minds. We seek to explore these gifts and passions in class. We also focus on man’s ideals and beliefs in the world in relationship to God and his/her fellow man taught within the biblical framework of creation, fall, and redemption. Writing and creativity reverberate, reflect, and amplify life; and God is the author of life (sovereign over every aspect of life). Therefore, Creative Writing is a celebration of life through the gift of writing that God has given us. Sin has corrupted and tainted every aspect of life including our minds and the written word. Ideally, my classes will evoke a sense of Passion within the students, and Passion is a contagious celebration of the life that God has given us thereby redeeming writing/creativity/creation for the glory of God as mature citizens in His Kingdom here on earth. As creative writers, we echo our Creatorā¬ā the author of our lives and world. We strive to glorify Him as sub-creators through writing and creativity. Students will come to understand and embrace writing as a gift, writing as a joy, writing as a medium of expression, and writing as a responsibility. Each one of us is created in Christ’s image; therefore, each one of us must have a commitment to EXCELLENCE as Christians. As a class, we seek to pursue Excellence through our creations and writing. Literature is a reflection of life, and God is the author of life (sovereign over every aspect of life); therefore, English class is a celebration of life through literature that God has given us. Sin has corrupted and tainted every aspect of life including literature. Ideally, my classes will evoke a sense of Passion within the students, and Passion is a contagious celebration of the life that God has given us thereby redeeming literature/creation for the glory of God as mature citizens in His Kingdom here on earth. The vision of the English 12 literature class is to enable students to recognize, see, and know-how culture, religion, and the arts influence man’s beliefs and way of life; to discern what Christian and non-Christian authors have to say in literature; to recognize the structure of the English language; to see how English literature reflects and affects our society; to prepare students for standardized/mandated tests, college English courses, and ā¬Ålifeā¬Ā where English skills are needed; to appreciate and celebrate English literature and writing; and finally to empower students to write effectively and tactfully.