About Michael Walker

Grew up in Archbold, OH and went to GC to study English and Secondary Ed; played baseball at GC and am now an Assistant Coach; I'm also excited to be coaching Middle School Boys Basketball again at BCS.

What is your philosophy of teaching?

I aim to be more of a facilitator than anything else. While I teach skills, I see it just as important to teach kids how to utilize their skills to make an impact in the real world; therefore, we do a lot of analyzing of themes and applying themes to life. Students are often challenged to address the question, "How can this _____ make someone's life better today?"

What kind of classroom experience do you try to create for your students?

I like to have students creating things, whether it is a presentation, written essay, speech, poster, etc. Students not only can show what they can do through these, but they also have to problem solve when something doesn't work like they expected.

How do you keep students engaged in their learning experience?

Finding relevant topics that are important to them is vital. Additionally, finding written works from a multicultural background is very important. Not only can "Old White Guys" be dry and boring, students want to read works that can teach about culture and past experiences they have not been as exposed to

What qualities or life skills do you wish to impart to your students?

Being a good communicator is a vital skill in English. Usually, that means being a proficient writer who can communicate their ideas and back them up with strong evidence. We also do a lot of analyzing and applying different readings to life today while asking ourselves how we can use the text to improve life today in some way.

What fuels your passion and drive to be an educator?

I love seeing kids accomplish a goal after struggling a bit. The sense of accomplishment they feel is a big driver.

When you aren't teaching, what can we find you doing?

Coaching, exercising, playing with my dog.