Here are some of the ways to reach me

My E-mail: socialvoice@gmail.com

Facebook: My Page

Google Profile: Here it is

Teacherlingo: Musings from a Not-So-Master Teacher

Good Reads: My Profile

Twitter: @johntspencer

I am a middle school teacher in a semi-urban enclave of Phoenix, Arizona. It's a beautiful barrio, but you wouldn't guess that if all you examined were test scores and data charts. To my core, I believe in authentic education.

I have an amazing, beautiful wife (I know every guy says that, but seriously, she's hot) and two awesome sons and despite my propensity to desire time away, I really enjoy my time with them. I love to drink coffee, listen to Sufjan Stevens, run for hours, read and write. I have very few talents. I'm pretty good at talking, decent at listening and okay at art. I'm lucky to have found a career that fits my identity and personality and this absolutely limited skill set.

I believe that true impact occurs in a paradox. The more I try to "make an impact," the less I impact a student. The more I try to teach to the test, the worse students do on the test. The more I focus on changing behaviors, the worse students behave. The more I try to be relevant, the more irrelevant and hopelessly "uncool" I become. Yet, when I strive for authenticity, when I teach to the student, when I teach in a dialogue with students, I find that they often pass the test, think well, treat one another with respect and find my class to be relevant.

My desire is to explore this and other paradoxes together. I have two blogs - one being this "Musings from a Not-So-Master Teacher" and the other being "Learning with Impact." My goal is to be practical, philosophical and personal. I want to engage in an authentic dialogue. I admit that I'm not an expert, just a guy trying to figure out life and my place within it.