How does the APH teaching philosophy look in your classroom?
My educational philosophy begins and ends with how students learn best. Learning is greater when students are invested in coursework they find authentic and meaningful. Intrinsic motivation is more effective (and healthier) than extrinsic motivation. Students learn better when they are included, understood, and respected, so fostering collaboration, inclusiveness, and genuine intellectual engagement are among my prime values. Students engaged in meaningful endeavors are more motivated to commit to the nuts-and-bolts work necessary for their growth and education. Developing lifelong habits of mind and remaining intellectually nimble is more important than the content of the moment. Learning should be inherently joyful, even (or especially) when it is difficult — when it comes to school, working purposefully and having a good time should go together. In my ideal academic community, everyone is on an intellectual journey. Everyone is a learner, including the teachers. And everyone is a leader, including the students. So in some ways my teaching philosophy boils down to this: “When it comes to teaching and learning, we are all in this together. Isn’t it great?”
What excites you most about The Academy At Penguin Hall?
A school of all places should be idealistic and ambitious, and I love that people at APH are dreaming big and are imagining all that is possible. Adults and students alike are fully invested in the life of the school. Being part of such a journey is a special opportunity.
What inspires you?
I am inspired by people who have every reason to complain but choose not to.
Bryon has a BA in Philosophy and Religious Studies from The University of North Texas, an MA in English Literature from Stanford, and PhD in English from Duquesne University