I am currently planning two trips to Europe in the upcoming summers of 2012 and 2013. For the summer of 2012 we will be touring Italy and for the summer of 2013 we will be touring Turkey and Greece by way of a cruise ship. I have taken students abroad before, in 2008 to Italy [...]
[Continue reading…]Ricard Candidate for Teacher of the Year
May 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment
After being rewarded for teacher of the month earlier in the year, and due to his year long efforts, John Ricard is among the candidates for teacher of the year for Somerset Academy. Ricard is being recognized for launching the Latin program and his contributions in his other subjects. He has even been able to [...]
[Continue reading…]Model for Change in Education – Harlem Children's Zone
March 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Something that was pointed out to me recently – the educational reforms that Dr. Geoffrey Canada is implementing in Harlem with his Children’s Zone academy. Historically, students in Harlem have performed worse than their peers on standardized tests but that is changing with Dr. Canada’s program. Just watch the interview from 60 Minutes to learn [...]
[Continue reading…]Senate Bill 6 is Horrendous for Education in Florida
March 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment
As a teacher I take great pride in providing my students with the best education I can. When creating my lessons and objectives the focus is always on what I want my students to learn. I will turn to any resource I can find that I think will help students learn and become engaged. We, [...]
[Continue reading…]Unofficial Pass of Professional Education Exam Brings Certification Closer
March 9, 2010 By 1 Comment
On March 9, I received my unofficial pass of the Professional Education Exam for the State of Florida. This brings me one step closer towards getting my professional certification for teaching in Florida. All that is left is that I complete my coursework (still have to complete my final two classes) and take the subject [...]
[Continue reading…]Ricard Announced as New Department Chair for Foreign Languages
October 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Recently, I was asked by my department chair, assistant principal and principal to take over the position of department chair for our foreign language department. Our current department chair has been serving in this capacity for a while now and while suffering from some medical ailments, was gracious enough to recommend me for the position. [...]
[Continue reading…]Gearing Up for AP European History and AP Art History
August 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Currently I am training in an AP workshop for European history. I have never taught European history, nor have I taught an AP course, but I feel that my experiences in college as an undergraduate and graduate student have given me insight into the kinds of work my students will be faced with. It isn’t [...]
[Continue reading…]Italy and Greece Tour a Success
July 6, 2009 By 5 Comments
I planned out a 10 day tour of Italy and Greece for my students over the course of the past school year. The tour started in Miami as we flew to Rome by way of Paris. We started our tour there on June 25th and we saw not only Rome, but also Capri, Sorrento, Pompeii [...]
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