Pete was born and raised in the Cleveland area. His parents still reside in Chesterland, while he and his brothers have established homes as far away as California. Pete decided to stay close to home and proudly lives in Mayfield Heights. He has two nephews and three nieces, “who I love like crazy.”
In his spare time, Pete is a big fan of movies, enjoys playing guitar and participates in activities with his church, including the worship band. He also helps clothes and feed those who are in need. “It does my heart good to help others,” he reflected, which is the perfect mentality for a teacher.
A Career in Education
Pete attended California Lutheran University and graduated with a degree in English. He then enrolled at Ursuline where he received his master’s degree in education. Two years later, he obtained his K-12 Intervention Specialist licensure through Notre Dame.
Pete is now a licensed intervention specialist with six years of experience working in charter schools. “I absolutely love my students,” he said. “I love finding out what they get excited to learn or talk about, even if it’s not school related. I work hard to make sure they know how much I want them to succeed in school and throughout life.”
The Road to Success
In 2009, Pete became a tutor. He started tutoring with North Coast Education in 2015. According to Pete, becoming a tutor offered a freedom that the classroom did not. “I know how much I have to offer, and I knew that I would learn and grow so much as a teacher and as a person if I had the opportunity to work with students one-on-one.”
Pete, who was very fond of reading in school, now specializes in the social sciences. He can tutor students in English, language arts, government, and history. “I like to think I’m well versed in most subjects,” he said, “except math!”
In addition, Pete has been trained in our multi-sensory phonics program, Richards Learning Systems®, and our multi-sensory math curriculum, Real Life Ma+h. This summer, Pete will be joining the staff of the Academic Fun & Fitness Camp as a camp counselor.
The Number One Rule for Teaching
Pete’s personal philosophy for teaching is something that can be applied to almost anything – a good sense of humor. According to Pete, “Frustrations and surprises are bound to pop up. But if you can find something to laugh about in the situation, you’ll be a lot happier, and probably live longer, too!”
To illustrate his philosophy, Pete shared a humorous story from his teaching career:
“…a student of mine complimented me for looking really ‘raw’ (which I thought was uncooked meat – apparently, it means ‘cool’). So as I’m cleaning up, the students asks if he can help, and I said, ‘No, thanks, but that’s really raw of you!’ I don’t think I used the word correctly.”
Reflecting on his career and achievements, Pete is grateful for the support of his family. “They’ve been with me every step of the way, and they have encouraged me more than I would have imagined.” In the same way, Pete is encouraging our students on the road to success and we are delighted to know him.