As a teacher, my goal is to foster intellectual curiosity, encourage critical thinking, and develop an appreciation for human history. For these reasons, my teaching style is a combination of lecture, independent study, and hands-on learning. School field trips, which serve to enrich the classroom experience and to provide experiential learning opportunities, have proven to be quite successful in reinforcing curriculum content. My classes have enjoyed field trips to Washington, DC, Manassas National Battlefield Park, the National Museum of African American History & Culture, and the National Museum of the Marine Corps, to name a few.

I inspire students to be intellectually curious about the world around them and to investigate history for themselves. Oftentimes, finding answers to historical questions can be as easy as reading a historical marker or visiting a local museum or battlefield. I encourage critical thinking, more specifically, researching an issue from multiple angles in an attempt to arrive at the most educated and informed conclusion. Finally, my teaching philosophy centers on developing an appreciation for human history. In order to make positive contributions in the future, students must have a strong understanding of our past.

-Mr. Timothy P. Stockdale, M.A.