ABOUT DAVID

Teaching is the work.
Curiosity is the throughline.

A teacher, writer, and journalism adviser with 20 years in the classroom—and still learning.

I teach U.S. History, Journalism, and AP United States Government and Politics at Brimmer and May School in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

I advise The Gator, the school’s award-winning student news site. My approach centers on student ownership: the editors lead the newsroom, and I support their reporting, judgment, and editorial independence.

I am the founder and executive director of the Private School Journalism Association and a board member of the New England Scholastic Press Association.

My writing explores education, history, and the work of helping young people think for themselves. The questions and experiences of an active classroom shape the ideas I share through articles, courses, talks, and workshops.

Inside my courses Teaching philosophy ↓Awards & honors ↓Speaking & workshops

Educator. Writer. Always learning.

MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Understanding that lasts. Voices of their own.

I want students to leave my classroom with knowledge they can use, questions worth pursuing, and arguments they can support with evidence. Depth matters. Close reading, thoughtful discussion, and writing for real audiences help students develop their voices and take ownership of their learning.

Eyeballs over screens. Technology should reinforce understanding students have already built. I am open about how I use AI, and I protect the thinking students need to do themselves. I keep questioning and revising my teaching, too. Perfection remains out of reach; the responsibility to improve does not.