Good Afternoon…

1. Good Afternoon… My name is Mike Graziano "Good teachers are those who know how little they know. Bad teachers are those who think they know more than they don't know.” - R. Verdi

2. Who I am… My name is Michael Jarred Graziano. I come from a small town in southeastern Pennsylvania called Kintnersville in Bucks County. Although I come from a small town setting I consider myself to be a fairly open minded individual. I feel that a teacher’s responsibility is to broaden their student’s horizons in preparation for their future. I know I have the ability to assist my pupils by not only being their instructor, but by also being a mentor.

3. My Family… My family is responsible for the person that I am today. The values and memories that they have instilled within me are reflected everyday within my actions. A picture of my family and I in Nags Head on the Outer Banks back in 2006.

4. Where I am from: Bucks County Bucks County is known as one of the top five most beautiful county’s in all of PA. It also has a wealth of historical background to it.

5. What a good teacher is... A teacher is not only an instructor but he or she is also “en loco parentis.” When they are in the classroom they are the parent, it is their job to make sure their students are in good hands. In my opinion a good teachers job responsibility is not limited to teaching. They should be a mentor and a friend. Students will listen to and respect you more if they know that the educator is making an sincere effort to show that they care and will help a student in need.

6. My Educational Background/Activities • Wrestling Team Captain – 2 years • After school workshop – 2 years • School paper – 4 years (EinC) • Toys for Tots/Letters and Cookies for the troops/History Tutoring • C. Preston Scoboria Award – 3 years • American Legion citizenship award • The Voice – 4 years • BU Ambassadors – 3 years • Majoring in History/Sec Ed. And a minor in Ed Tech. Palisades High School Bloomsburg University

7. My Hobbies I have two main hobbies; the first one is that I collect World War II authentic: (Note: In no way do I support National Socialism or the Nazi’s. I simply collect pieces of the past to further my historical knowledge and as a hobby. It so happens I am interested in Nazi Germany; nothing more, nothing less. Besides some of these items can be brought in to give my students a hands on experience notice I said “some”.)

8. Professional Paintball On specific weekends, I play Professional Scenario Paintball, I have played with a variety of teams and continue to do so to this day. A lot of the games involve role playing of historical characters as well as making some up:

9. Why I am here I am here to become a good teacher. I know I have the skills and abilities to assist students in the learning process while at the same time seeing things from their point of view. I feel some educators may have forgotten this aspect of the teacher pupil relationship. I think it is vital to a students education to perceive and teach through their eyes. This is why I wanted to become a teacher…

10. Assets I can contribute • I believe I will be a valuable asset to any school district. The main reason would be my ability to connect to my students needs. • History Teacher • Wrestling Coach • Advisor for a school paper • I can assist my students and peers with multiple technology inspired ideas and help them solve any problems. • Being a progressive teacher better enables me to view history and world events through a “Generation Y’ers” perspective. I feel this connection is invaluable in education today.

11. My Future Goals I would like to expand on my educational and teaching skills so I may continue to be an asset and mentor to my students and community, because we are always learning no matter what age we are.

12. Thank You for your time!If you have any questions please feel free to ask.