Biography

Brian is a life-long learner. He earned his Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Mathematics Education from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2007, then his Masters of Education in Administration and Supervision from the University of Houston in 2012, and Doctorate of Education, Ed.D., in Educational Studies from the University of Northern Colorado in 2021. His dissertation entitled Exploring Teacher and Student Experiences in a Nature-Based Mathematical Environment is an action research study utilizing the instructional arc to design a nature-based experience for students to explore, study, and learn piecewise-defined functions.

Brian’s educational philosophy and teaching methods are anchored in the importance of experiential education and the opportunity to learn from real-world experiences. In John Dewey's book, Education and Experience (1938), he discusses, specifically, how "if an experience arouses curiosity, strengthens initiative, and sets up desires and purposes," that experience will remain as a driving force in the mind of the student. Dr. Montessori, in her book The Absorbent Mind (1967), stressed the importance of how a student becomes an adult “by means of [their] hands, by means of [their] experience, first through play, then through work. The hands are the instrument of human intelligence." Brian wants all of his students to have the exposure and the opportunities to as many experiences as possible to discover their internal driving forces and to develop into socially-responsible adults.

As parents, Brian and his wife, Lindsay, one of the guides in the AC, value Dr. Montessori’s philosophies of peace education and prioritizing the education of the whole child. They consider themselves Montessori parents and have seen the powerful benefits of including the Montessori method in their everyday lives with their own children since their birth. Their eldest son, Eli, is in lower elementary with Ms. Kristen, and their youngest son, Jasper, is in primary with Ms. Sterling. They have enjoyed watching both boys flourish in the beautifully prepared Montessori environments at St. Catherine’s Montessori and at home. They have also witnessed the positive impact Montessori’s approaches have had on both their parenting and work lives.

Outside of education, Brian enjoys cooking with and for his family, reading books (both fiction and non-fiction), going on nature walks with his family and dog, playing puzzle games, and watching TV to relax.