About Mr. P

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I'm an 8th Grade U.S. History teacher at Benjamin Rush Middle School. I have taught middle school social studies for 30 years. I love teaching and using technology in the classroom to make learning fun and more efficient. I grew up and live in New Castle. In 1992, I graduated from Ball State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Studies Education. I received a Master’s Degree from Indiana State University in the area of Curriculum, Instruction, and Media Technology. I was the runner-up Indiana Teacher of the Year in 2003. I have been a Mentor Teacher helping new teachers learn how to teach, a Team Leader, Dept. Chair, New Teacher Portfolio Evaluator.  I have served on several state education committees including:  Indiana Dept. of Education Committee for creating the Indiana Social Studies I.S.T.E.P. testing program,  Indiana Dept. of Education Committee for Fairness and Content for the 2019 ILEARN testing program, as well as, an Indiana Dept. of Education Committee to create and revise the Indiana Social Studies Standards for 2009, 2014, 2020, and again in 2022.  I was also on the committee to create a new Social Studies Teacher Licensing Exam in 2016.  None of this matters nearly as much as getting this year’s students to enjoy and learn about history and becoming successful students.