2006 Teacher of the Year - Region IV

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Eric Petro - Region IV

Biographical Statement

Eric Petro grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and graduated from Edinboro University with a bachelor’s degree in criminology. He has been teaching incarcerated youth for 11 years. His career began in 1996 as an ESE teacher at the Hillsborough Correctional Institution, which is operated by the Department of Corrections. In 1998, Petro began working at for the Youth Services in Hillsborough County in order to focus his teaching efforts on crime prevention. He worked at the Detention Center for three years before being asked to take over a science position at Falkenburg Academy.

While at Falkenburg, Petro obtained a certification in physical education and developed a plan to allow students to complete required graduation coursework in personal fitness and team sports. Petro continues with physical education activities throughout the school year as a reward and incentive for the students. Petro believes that his success with students stems from a great sense of humor and ability to relate to the students. He also believes they learn most from someone they trust and respect, someone who speaks to them in their language and breaks complicated concepts down into applicable terms.

He has been recognized by colleagues with a variety of awards. In 1997, he received the Hillsborough Correctional Institution Teacher of the Year Award. Petro also received the Youth Services Teacher of the Year Award and was nominated as a Hillsborough County Public Schools Teacher of the Year candidate in 2003. In 2005, he received the Council for Exceptional Children Teacher of the Year Award for Youth Services.

Teaching Philosophy

“My teaching philosophy is simple. I meet the needs of my students and increase their functional academic levels while nurturing their self-esteem. I teach Science, Health and Physical Education (PE) to students in grades 6-12 in a moderate risk residential juvenile justice program. The focus of my instruction is designed around the district subject area curriculum guides and Sunshine State Standards. FCAT skills, basic remediation and cross-curricular strategies are incorporated into my lesson plans. I have adopted an interdisciplinary approach to lesson planning and presentation in order to meet the diverse needs of all my students. This has afforded me the opportunity to draw on their vast real-world experiences and background knowledge to supplement instruction. Our daily population includes 100 students, with approximately 55% of these being students with disabilities (SWD). The range of exceptionalities includes Educable Mentally Handicapped (EMH), Specific Learning Disabled (SLD), and Language Impaired (LI).”

“I use a variety of teaching strategies to assess the progress of both my general education and special education students. During direct instruction I use open-ended questions to assess my students’ level of comprehension and application readiness. I have also found group discussion to be crucial in identifying areas of limited understanding. All children learn differently and I am always cognizant of this. With this in mind, I vary my presentation and assessment techniques. In addition to those methods already mentioned I use teacher-made assessments, District Interim Assessments and performance-based assessments. Additionally, I provide much needed remedial instruction to my students during a federally funded night school tutoring program for neglected and delinquent students. I make it a priority to maintain open communication with my colleagues to ensure that I am able to target the needs of all my students, regardless of the subject area needing remediation.”

“I use the science curriculum to help me determine appropriate rewards for the students. There is significant evidence that suggests that the cultivating the relationship between children, especially those considered to be at risk, and animals is important to the development of their self-esteem and positive relationships with others. My classroom is built with this in mind. My students have fish, both fresh and saltwater, that they are responsible for providing daily care for. They also have a resident bearded dragon, “Bernie,” an iguana, “Scales” and a Chinese water dragon, “Jackie Chan.” Each of these animals must be maintained in a very different type of habitat and require different types and levels of daily care. There is a large emphasis placed on ecosystems and life forms in all areas of science.”

“It is easy to help the students that are residing at the facility. I believe that the challenge is to be sure that the students transition easily into the community upon release. My hope is that my students will take the values that I have attempted to instill in them during our short time together. I teach them about the importance of education, self-worth and meeting your responsibilities. My students walk out of the facility knowing that even though they are gone, the support system is still in place. I have maintained contact with several of my students. I often run into them while I am at the mall or eating at a fast-food restaurant. I am happy to say that those I do see do not shirk and hide, rather they are eager to tell me about their accomplishments. I provide GED instruction to those who wish to take that avenue. I discuss colleges and post-secondary options with them as well. If nothing else, the young men hear me say everyday, “Education is the key to success.””

“I have taught adjudicated youth for more than 10 years. During this time I have been honored to serve on the School Advisory Committee, Steering Committee, and Technology Committee. I am a site-based Lead Teacher, Peer Mentor Teacher, and Science Curriculum Coordinator. I have served on district level Curriculum Review and Revision committees for high school. In addition to these duties I am an active member of our site-based Mock QA Team.”

“I believe that team work is the key to my success. I could not have accomplished all that I have without the support of my colleagues and peers. Our site and student achievement is a testament to this philosophy.”