Hello and welcome to my blog and podcast homepage! If you ended up here but were looking for Mr. Mastroianni’s online classrooms, click here to get started. Besides giving you access to my podcasts (more on those below), this site was created so that students and parents can get a feel for me as a teacher and a person. In addition to this page, I will blog on other topics. Stop back and leave a comment if you’d like!
Mr. Mastroianni at Dingmans Falls, PA
Let me start by saying that I love teaching. I had a number of great teachers during my trip through Toms River schools. They inspired me to come back to Toms River and give teaching a try. I keep my experiences with them as a guide. So I suppose this is a quick “thank you!” to my former teachers.
During my 9 years of teaching, I have met hundreds of students. It’s wonderful to go to a “job” where I know I am going to laugh almost to the point of tears just about every day. Of course, there are the days where I can feel the gray hairs coming in, but I try not hang on to them.
http://www.trteach.com
What is my mission as your son or daughter’s teacher? I’m glad you asked. I would have to say that my goal is to show your children that they’re not “bad at science,” and that it can actually be fun. Generally speaking, this means students end up laughing at me instead of with me.
A recent project of mine was the development and deployment of TRteach.com (seen in the image above). This site was developed so all Toms River Schools teachers could easily make their own “web site.” TRteach.com does more than just offer teachers a web site. Teachers can turn their site into an online classroom. I am really excited about the potential for TRteach.com to help prepare your son or daughter for the workplace and college if they choose to go beyond high school. It is a high tech world out there and we are right there with it.
Continuing with the topic of technology, I have another tidbit I would like to share with you. I am sure you’ve heard that iPods are not allowed in school (and rightfully so since they can be easily stolen and are distractions).
iPod - Image Couresy of Apple, Inc.
They do, however, represent an outstanding opportunity for teachers to reach their students. Having realized that not all students can learn while “sitting down,” I wanted to find a way reach them. In the educational realm, we call these students “kinesthetic learners.” In my opinion, these learners have been my greatest challenge. Hopefully, I have solved (or at the very least greatly improved) this challenge. Students can go to this link to download audio lessons (with review questions) called “Podcasts.” Now students can learn on the go. Often times, kinesthetic learners just need to be moving to be able to learn. Also, I think this will really help my student-athletes who are seemingly always on the move. Having your books with you on the bus to an away game might be the grounds for some friendly teasing. Listening to me on their iPod is a fairly discrete operation. Just tell your friends your listening to your pre-game playlist.
Overall, I want my students to enjoy learning. I would like my students to become thirsty for new skills and to find answers to their questions. I look forward to working with your children and helping them grow.
Thank you for taking the time to read a little bit about me!