David Baxter –Grades 3-4 Highly Capable Program Teacher

Location: West Mercer Elementary

Job Decription / Philosophy: The Highly Capable program strives to provide an enriched learning environment focused on independently accelerated instruction, project-based and simulation learning, and multi-grade flexible grouping of 3-5th graders.

Typical day: “Unlike many teachers, I am not an early riser,” David chuckles. “I come in at 8:30 a.m., but often stay until anywhere from 6:30 or 8:30 p.m. The long days haven’t burned me out—you build up stamina.”

David’s school day is broken up into several blocks, starting with Math Workshop, during which he moves from student to student and incorporates mini lessons within the broader curricula. In Literature block, students are given a variety of choices using the CAFÉ (Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding vocabulary) model of instruction. CAFÉ focuses on independent or small group conferencing on skills such as reading, in which students select independent goals and make a plan on how they’ll achieve them.

David is an enthusiastic proponent of technology in the classroom. “The most powerful tool, I have found, in teaching students to be better writers is the document camera. It gives them an unprecedented opportunity to compare and be influenced by each other’s work.” He also engages students by giving them a chance to share their thinking and work with a broader audience using podcasting and iMovie to document and share writing and ideas on the Internet.

In the afternoon David teaches a fifth grade science and social studies class. When his third and fourth graders return from science and social studies instruction with other teachers, David has more activities including a venture he calls Curiosity Quest. “My students are at a very formative age, and I want them to explore topics they care about. I am always asking, ‘What do you think?’ when they come to me with questions, because I can’t solve things for them. I also model constructive criticism— which I’ve discovered kids are great at giving to me and to each other.” Aesthetic attention to their projects is another essential in David’s classroom. “I encourage students to experiment with technology tools such as iPhoto, Word tools, and Powerpoint, for clear, polished presentations. This helps them figure out what works in getting their points across, or how to adjust for a better outcome.”

Best part of the job: “Getting to work with young people who are still open to the wonders of the world,” David says. “Growing up I thought of myself as an optimist. Then I went to college and became a pessimist. Now I consider myself a realist. But there is a lot of good in the world, and I want to focus on that and share it with my students. I am also inspired by the incredible array of teachers in this district. I feel every person I work with gives 100%.”

Something people may not know: “One of my favorite things to do,” says David, “is sit in the woods and be silent. As a teacher it helps me to stop and listen to the world instead of speaking to it.” David grew up in Wisconsin and obtained his degree in theatre with minors in history and theology at Marquette University. He got his masters in teaching at City University. It was a “mad adventure” road trip with his brother 18 years ago that brought David to Washington State. “We stopped at Shi Shi beach on the Fourth of July,” David confides. “I watched the sun sink into the ocean and thought, ‘what an amazing place.’ I decided Washington was where I should be.”

Years in district: This is David’s fifth year at MISD. He taught in Federal Way for seven years prior.

Outside interests: Though he loves the urban activities that Seattle has to offer, David lives on 1.25 acres in Renton. His property is surrounded by farmland that can’t be developed, and contains a grove of forty wide-trunked cedar trees he intends to preserve. David put in a flower garden recently and plans to do a vegetable garden in the spring.