“I’ve always had a passion for helping people, and I love being around people,” says Adam Swingle, when asked why he decided to become a teacher. His hope to make a difference in the lives of others made teaching a natural career choice. In regards to selecting social studies as his content area, Mr. Swingle explains, “I grew up in Germany because my dad was in the army. I would see different veterans, and we would go to World War II memorials…I just felt like I needed to teach social studies so that I could continue people’s stories.” Both Adam’s desire to be an educator and his decision to teach history reflect the sincere way he values people and their experiences.
“Adam has a passion for his content that comes through every day in his classroom,” says Jennifer Miller, a colleague of Adam’s. “Whether he is teaching pivotal events of the American Revolution, the foundations of American government, or personal finance, he finds a way to bring learning alive for his students.” To further invest in his students and his profession, Adam decided to pursue National Board Certification.
The National Board Certification process was described to Adam as one of the very best opportunities for professional development available to teachers. He certainly found this to be the case. The process for obtaining certification involves the completion of four main components. Through the components, teachers are tested on their knowledge of their content area, reflect on how they teach and interact with students, and prove that their teaching encompasses the standards set forth by the National Board. It truly is quite an undertaking; however, Adam never felt that it was something he was unable to accomplish. He explains how the high expectations for educators in Woodford County prepared him for the task at hand.
The certification process equipped Adam with invaluable strategies for everyday life in his classroom. In particular, he found a more effective way to teach his students how to write strong papers and responses. He refers to it as “live grading.” Prior to this practice, Adam describes how he would grade a student’s work and return it to them in several days or weeks. At this point, students either review his edits to see if they were wrong or right about the topic or they move on without considering how they could improve. Since writing is the method Adam uses to test a student’s knowledge of the content, this grading timeline presents a problem if they submit an entire paper with an incorrect thesis statement.
Adam’s new practice of live grading prevents a finished paper with an erroneous argument. Now, the writing process he implements is “active and segmented.” He breaks down the paper or assignment into clear steps so that students are not building an entire essay or response on an argument they cannot defend. To explain step one, Adam says, “We decide what is our thesis, what are we putting together, and why are putting these thoughts together.” When students have a solid understanding of the prompt and their response to it, Adam ushers them into step two. As the writing process unfolds, he is able to walk around the classroom and monitor how students’ paragraphs and arguments are developing. He is able to conference and advise in the moment so that students can feel equipped to continue their writing. Adam reflects on his updated strategy; he says, “My whole philosophy of writing and grading writing changed because of the National Board process.”
The impact of Adam’s experience with certification is extremely positive. The skills and methods he developed have made a strong teacher even stronger. As excellent as his technical skills are, Liz Kirk, WCMS Principal, describes Adam’s natural gifts as some of his most wonderful assets to his teaching. She says, “Mr. Swingle creates a classroom environment of respect and safety for his students. He has a calming presence in his classroom.” Mrs. Kirk continues, “Students often gravitate to Mr. Swingle as a mentor. He builds strong relationships with the students by simply being himself and sharing small pieces about his past and family. Our students are blessed to have him as a teacher.”
As a district, we are so grateful that Adam decided to pursue his certification. He will continue to benefit from it both professionally and personally, and the experience will have a positive impact on students for years to come. Congratulations, Mr. Swingle,
on becoming a National Board Certified Teacher! We are so proud of you!
