Interview with Mr. Knight
Describe your educational background.
This is my 13th year in education. I graduated from Blue Mountain College in 2010 with a B.S. in English Education. I taught for a few years before returning to grad school and earning my M.S. in Educational Leadership. I taught 8th Grade ELA for 8 years, 6th Grade ELA for 3 years, and spent 2 years in administration.
What is your educational philosophy?
Whenever I began my teaching career, I read a quote by Mark Twain that pretty much summed up how I felt: “Teaching is like trying to hold 35 corks underwater at the same time.” Internships and college never prepared me for the demands of actually taking control of my own classroom, and as an educator, I’ve realized many things, but one continues to stick with me: teachers must be flexible and adapt to any situation thrown at them, while still providing effective instruction.
I hold to the fact that schools should prepare boys and girls for adult responsibility and that teachers should be highly skilled in delivering their content as well as fostering positive relationships with their students. If a teacher can effectively do those two things, every child in the room will learn. There is no higher calling, and teachers have a mighty task in front of them.
What are your favorite things about working at ACMS?
The culture of ACMS is unlike anything I have ever seen. EVERYONE seems happy to be in the building and loves their kids. My family and I are blessed to call AC our home.
What do you consider to be a major public education issue today? How would you attempt to fix this issue if you could?
I think that our students struggle with finding positive role models. Students and young people are constantly taking social cues from the world around them to try and figure out where and how they fit into the world. Sometimes those cues don't come from the best sources. We can't do much about it, other than be positive role models for our students. They're watching, even when we think they aren't.
How do you cope with the stress of your job?
Coffee...in copious amounts.
How do you make all students feel safe and welcome in your classroom?
Routines and Good Things! We establish routines and procedures from the first day of school, and we practice them until they become second nature. Once we know what's expected of all of us in the classroom, stress levels go down. And Good Things! We love sharing Good Things each day, and that helps me bond with my students and learn more about their lives.
What else do you want people to know about you?
I absolutely love my job, and I think that I'm blessed to be able to clock in and work with middle schoolers every day (mainly because I'm still a middle schooler at heart!). I'm incredibly honored to be nominated. I love my school and my school family. You guys are the best, and I'm proud to be a part of ACMS.