My History
I am a San Diego native, raised in the Clairemont area. I have always been a good
student and liked to share my learning with others, as shown in this 2nd grade picture.
I realized early on at Clairemont High School that I wanted to become a teacher
and joined the Future Educators Club. Through that club I received a long-term
scholarship through the San Diego Education Fund to become a teacher. After graduating
as valedictorian in 1990, I worked toward my B.A. in History at UCSD and later pursued
my Social Studies teaching credential at San Diego State. Throughout college and
graduate school I worked as an AVID tutor and instructional aide in the History
Department at Clairemont High. After SDSU, I started my first teaching job at
Keiller Middle School in San Diego where I taught US History and AVID.
I was married in 1998 and the next year my wife and I moved to Stanford University
where she began work on her Ph.D. in Biology. While she worked toward her degree,
I began teaching 7th grade World History and AVID at J.L. Stanford Middle School
in Palo Alto. In 2001, I became Instructional Supervisor there and have been
responsible for the Social Studies Department ever since. Aside from regular
teaching duties, I supervise about ten teachers of 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.
I also serve on the Leadership Council at our school and the Steering Committee
at our district. Training and workshop coordination are also part of my duties.
Over the years I have also been GATE Coordinator, Differentiation Coach, and AVID
Coordinator at JLS, as well as a Master Teacher for the teacher education program
at San Jose State University. Recent honors have included selection to present at
the 2005 CCSS Conference, Teacher of the Week in the San Jose Mercury News, and my
selection as site Teacher of the Year by the California League of Middle Schools.
One turning point during my time in northern California was in 2000 when I appeared
on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Thanks to a lucky string of questions I was able to
take home a quarter million dollars. That day, however, was eclipsed by the day that
my daughter, Audrey, was born in March of 2003. My wife and I will be returning to
San Diego this summer planning to stay for good and raise our daughter near family
and friends. My hope is that I can find a teaching position and home in a place with
a sense of community and permanence. Please email me at mrdsmail@yahoo.com with any
questions or information you might have about a possible teaching position in the
San Diego, Poway, or Carlsbad areas. Thanks.
