Hello and welcome to my class!

My name is Tyler Kerstetter. You're welcome to call me Mr. K, I get that my last name might be tough to pronounce. 

I want to take this space to introduce myself a little bit. This is my first year teaching at Florida High, my second year teaching in general. During the 2021-2022 school year, I taught 8th grade English at Montford Middle School here in Tallahassee. I am a two-time graduate from Florida State, receiving both my Bachelor's Degree in English Education and Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction in 2020 and 2021 respectively. Prior to attending Florida State, I was in the Army (and am still currently in the National Guard). I left active duty service in December of 2015. 

During my time in the military, I realized my true passion lied in the training and development of those I was responsible for. When it came time to choose a new career, teaching was an easy and natural fit. Beyond that, English was truly the only subject that resonated with me during high school, so the career change made sense to me. 

My educational philosophy is one of collaboration and teamwork with my students. I feel the best teacher is a lifelong learner, and the moment I believe that I know everything about my subject is the day I have failed my students. My goal is to make my class one where the students feel as though they can be active participants and co-creators. I may develop the curriculum, but the students help me find the way we will explore it together. I believe English is unique in the way it can be intertwined with skills and competencies that are used in the everyday world beyond the classroom. As such, critical thinking skills, rhetoric, and metacognition (the way we think about thinking) are core pillars of my classroom. I want me and my students to become better thinkers and doers in every facet of life by the end of the school year. 

I am incredibly excited for this year and cannot wait to learn aside you/your students. 

- Mr. K