Mr. Ralph Andrews' Blog

Photo by Ansonlobo, from Wikimedia Commons When studying about my moral obligation and moral imperative, it seemed extreme. I “owe it to others to share” ( Dean Shareski ) information, practices, and lessons that I have developed or encountered to improve learning for others? It is enough to make one feel guilty for not already having a platform in which to upload and share my entire Google Drive that is packed with countless hours of preparation, collection, and creation. Am I wrong for being hesitant to share my resources or am I being selfish? Education is such a unique profession but I will try to draw parallels to another profession, medicine. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow to examine a birthmark on my upper cheek that has recently become irritating. I rely on my doctor to have acquired the resources to make informed decisions about my skin. This doesn’t mean she has conducted hundreds of hours of research and studied birthmarks but rather that she has made herself...

A visionary leader in education that I have crossed paths with was my former Junior High Principal, Paula Husar. She was named principal a year before I was hired at an elementary school within the district and played a role in my desire to move into a middle school mathematics position a year later. Though I loved the atmosphere at the elementary school, I jumped at the chance to move because of her ingenuity and her genuine desire to make an impact on the community and the changing educational platforms. She wasn’t making waves for the sake of making waves but wanted to lead a change in thinking in the building that would later her the principalship in our district’s high school. She inspired staff members to incorporate technology into the classroom and made a push for a one-to-one initiative which would later produce carts of Chromebooks for instruction. Her leadership style promoted collaborative processes in the form of different teacher-led committees that was aimed to i...

Learner. Educator. Coach. I am Ralph Andrews and I live in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania while teaching 8th-grade mathematics at the Palmerton Area Junior High School. I have a Bachelors in Elementary Education with a Middle School Mathematics add-on with a Masters in Classroom Technology.  I’ve spent 16 seasons coaching varsity football and girls’ basketball. I have a thirst for technology and love integrating new practices into my classroom. I strive to inspire and educate others to be productive citizens in a dynamic, macro society through personal connections and collaborative endeavors with students, staff, and our community members.