James HaasEducator Personal Statement

For decades educational research has focused on determining factors that contribute to student learning. They have analyzed and scrutinized every possible curriculum, methodology, technology and pedagogical practice. The one theme that permeates nearly all the research is that the most significant factor in predicting high student progress and achievement in school is a positive relationship between the student and teacher. I have 33 years of experience building the kind of relationships with students that makes them not only lovers of learning, but confident and competent contributors to the classrooms they enter when they leave mine and to the world they enter when they exit school. I think you would be hard pressed to find a student, or parent of a student, who passed through my classroom over those 33 years who wouldnt agree. I love teaching, but I especially love teaching middle school. Im sure it stems back to some childhood story I read about running away to join the circus because as a middle school teacher Ive filled nearly every role in a circus cast. There are days I need to be a clown, others a lion tamer. Certainly I spend many days as the ringmaster of all three rings in the bigtop, and I constantly find myself toeing the tightrope with no safety net below me. Juggling? Ive never met a middle school teacher who wasnt an expert at both that and the flying trapeze! To be completely honest, there are even days when I need to be the guy with the shovel behind the elephants and horses. Somebodys got to do it, and Im more than willing to pick up my share of the metaphorical load. However, teaching for me is not just what goes on in the classroom between my students and me. Teaching is also about the relationships I build with other educators on my team, in my professional learning community and within my school. I have been a learning community coordinator for 18 of my 20 years at Singapore American School, at times overseeing teams of more than 20 teachers. I lead our math PLC and have served as math department chair for the middle school. I have been instrumental in developing my schools Classroom Without Walls program, and I currently serve as CWW coordinator. I have never actively sought leadership roles, but due to my experience and personality they seem to somehow find me. My masters advisor once told me that if the day ever came that I knew everything about teaching, then I should hand in my resignation and find a new profession because I would be wrong. He opened my eyes to the necessity of lifelong education in this profession, but more importantly, to the realization that every day in every class I learn something new and valuable. To ensure that I do continue to learn and grow, I attend workshops, conferences and courses; I read professional literature; and I maintain memberships in professional organizations like NCTM and ALME. After six thousand plus days in the classroom, I still feel like every day is a new learning opportunity. Finally, I think I bring to the classroom an invaluable understanding of third culture kids, expatriate families and international education that can only be shared by those who have experienced it first-hand. From my high school and college years in Denmark and Holland to raising two children of my own in Singapore to dedicating 25 years of my career to teaching overseas, I am confident in counseling kids and families about the advantages and disadvantages of being a global nomad.