Teacher Bio

 

Hello everyone,

 

I'm very excited for the upcoming school year. Briefly, I wanted to outline a little bit about myself and my philosophy of teaching.

 

Firstly, I want to note that I truly believe in the merits of a well-rounded education, one that creates an informed, knowledgeable, and capable citizenry. In a time where information is plentiful, it can be tempting to simply synthesize information instead of truly understanding it. In all subjects, but particularly the humanities, it is necessary to introduce intentional struggle that requires rigorous examination on the part of the student.

 

At times, thinking can be recursive, texts can require the need to be read and reread; therefore, the values and skills imparted therein are not always easily or quickly understood. To achieve our goals, both individual and societal, we must engage intentionally with complex material, challenging ourselves and challenging our preconceived notions, and subsequently overcoming those challenges.

 

As for me, I attended East Tennessee State University for my bachelor's degree, and then completed the current extent of my education at the University of Tennessee for my master's degree in Secondary English Education.

 

It was a circuitous route to education, after having spent time in baseball, museum work, and plenty of other less interesting places, but I'm happy to have found my footing.

 

I spent the first part of my career teaching English at Science Hill in Johnson City, hopefully encouraging students through language arts and philosophy to reach their own understanding of the world and to reach their potential. I also spent time as the testing coordinator at Fulton High School in Knoxville.

 

I met my wife in fifth grade, we started dating in high school, and now we've got two wonderful little boys, both of whom share the mantle as the pride of my heart.

 

I enjoy watching Pirates baseball on summer evenings, reading philosophy, writing, viewing horror films, stand up comedy, and spending time with my family.

 

I look forward to welcoming and working with both students and parents and expect this to be a fantastic year.

 

If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out.

 

Cheers,

Brett Barnett