Mr. Magruder

“History continues.”

-Georges Duby

My name is Conan Magruder and I want to teach as much as I can of it.  I received a B.A. from Beloit College (2001) and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Sweet Briar College (2011). I was selected to participate in the Teachers of Promise Institute for 2011, which, “recognizes and supports the best prospective school teachers in the United States.” Much of my graduate experience focused around the differentiation of instruction based on students’ interest, readiness, and preferred modes of learning. I’ve been trained to differentiate both the process and the produced products of the classroom.

I’m honored and excited to be part of the New Vistas faculty and get the chance to put all I’ve learned into place in the classroom. I’ve gotten chances here, already, that I never could have dreamed of anywhere else. My aim is to produce a respectful but challenging classroom environment so that, with my support, students can show me all that they are truly capable of. One of my greatest inspirations in education came through a principal I substitute taught for, a former New Vistas student, and I seek to inspire so that these students can create further inspirations.

World History

The aim here is to introduce students to the concept of the world as a constantly shifting map of cultures. Through the interpretation of these cultures we can establish notions of decision and consequence. A special emphasis will be made on kinesthetic learning as well as the concept of all of history being related to social networking and social interactions. The Virginia Geography and World History standards are considered a stepping off point but the aim is to consider them a baseline. Some beginning historical analysis will be conducted.

United States History

These students are ready for a deeper look at America. This class will focus on a history of America, largely taught through periods of contention and controversy. Background knowledge will be established and then the actual practice of history will be forwarded. Sources will be analyzed, events considered in different lights than what may have been originally portrayed as, and there’ll be the chance for students to craft their own viewpoints. Again, the Virginia standards will be considered as a baseline, but the class will go to their own limits.

United States Government

One of the most famous statisticians of the 20th century asked, “If we’re not teaching Social Studies to help make strong future citizens, why are we teaching it?” One of the best vehicles for that instruction is through teaching about the U.S. government to high school seniors. Students will be given the opportunity to explore the structure and meaning of the American government as well as be exposed to the realities of political science, campaign finance, and modern media in the age of the Super PAC. An effort will be made to insure that students are respectful towards other students but the driving force here will be students’ own decisions. The text of the Virginia standards will serve to help develop background knowledge but the goal here is reasoned analysis.

Fundamentals of Communication I

Through the established curriculum and near constant practice, this is a class to teach students how to write and communicate more effectively. Every student (and nearly every American) can use patterns and structure to write more effectively, as well as the constant process of revision. Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues will be employed to engage student processing on a variety of levels.