• Hello Students and Parents!
     
    WELCOME!  The 2021/2022 school year will be my 14th year teaching at Stratford High School.  This year I will be teaching Honors Biology 1 and AP Biology.  Links to specific courses are on the left.
     
    My mission as an Honors Biology 1 teacher is two-fold; to prepare students for success in future science courses and to introduce students to the scientific field of Biology.  I hope my students leave this course with an improved awareness of their own learning abilities and the willingness to challenge themselves by continuing to take Honors and AP level courses.   I also want my students to have a greater understanding of the systems and processes that occur daily in order to support life, and to appreciate how changes within the environment affect living organisms.
     
    It is my intent to teach these courses with the following learning goals;
    • Students will demonstrate critical thinking.  Students will pose questions when new information does not agree with their current understanding, and look for further sources of evidence to support the new idea if necessary; Students will not accept blindly new information.
    • Students will demonstrate a deep understanding of content and be able to apply this knowledge to problems in and out of the classroom.  Students will be able to make connections between various concepts and apply multiple concepts to a problem when needed.
    • Students will demonstrate creativity and curiosity.  Students will develop their own ways to explain their ideas and look for evidence that supports their ideas.
    • Students will demonstrate respect. Students will listen to other ideas and treat them as valid. 
    • Students will be responsible and conscientious members of communities. Students will address global problems concerning the environment, energy needs, human needs, social concerns and others.
    • Students will exhibit confidence.  Students who exhibit confidence will be willing to participate in class, and willing to provide ideas, even if they are unsure of the idea’s worth.  Students will ask the teacher to clarify when they do not fully understand, and be willing to look for additional help if needed.
    • Students will set goals and assess their own learning and progress.  Students will set realistic goals for the semester, quarter, unit, and week; students will seek ways to express their learning and check for understanding of new concepts.
    • Students will be active in their own learning.  Students will bring concerns about understanding to class discussions, and also cite how current material applies elsewhere, besides the classroom.
    • Students will use communication and cooperation skills effectively.  Students will be able to communicate ideas succinctly through written language and when speaking to others; students will use correct grammar and punctuation.  Students who are able to cooperate are willing to let others do their fair share as well as pull their own weight in a group. 
    • Students will understand the nature of knowledge.  By reflecting on what it means to know something in diverse areas, students will better understand how to learn effectively.
     
    Your child's health, both physical and mental, is important to me.  If at anytime during this school year you wish to contact me with a question, or wish to share a concern, please feel free to email me, or call me at the school.