Mr. Van Lare
My blogs
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Grade 5 Teacher |
| Location | Amman |
| Introduction | I was raised in Upstate New York by a loving family of teachers (mother, sister, wife, grandmother and grandfather) and nurses (father, grandmother and sister). While I began a career in advertising sales, I always knew something was missing. I witnessed the satisfaction my family members enjoyed by helping others and had a deep desire to contribute. When my children were still young (now grade 8 and 9 students here at ACS) I gave up a promising career and returned to college to follow my dream of becoming an educator. I received my BA in history and elementary education from the State University of New York. I also finished half of my MA in Literacy from the University of Rochester. Following the challenges of balancing studies, parenting and work, I began my teaching career in NY where I taught grade 5. After receiving tenure, I taught grade 4 in Yangon, Myanmar for several years. Both experiences were rewarding beyond belief and I now feel fortunate to be part of the ACS community. I feel incredibly privileged to work with children each day. To me there is no greater honor than helping another to reach their potential; as a parent and teacher. |
| Interests | Reading, Photography, Writing, Mountain Biking, Family Time, Travel, Cooking, Movies, Music, Technology, Cultures... |
| Favorite movies | There are far too many to list them all, but here are a few: The Life of Pi, Cloud Atlas, The Princess Bride, Shawshank Redemption, It's A Wonderful Life, Slumdog Millionaire, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Baraka, Where the Wild Things Are, Toy Story, Star Wars, too many more! |
| Favorite music | I love all kinds of music, but here are a few: Phillip Phillips, Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, George Winston, B.B. King, John Mayer, Brett Dennen, Jack Johnson, Adele, Norah Jones, fun., The Black Eyed Peas... |
| Favorite books | Again, so many good ones! A Tale of Despereaux (and anything by Kate DiCamillo), The Giving Tree, The Alchemist, Manuscript Found in Accra, The Power of Now, Peace is Every Step, Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance... |