Mr. Schwaller is a 1998 graduate of John Marshall High School, in Rochester, MN. It was during his time in the Rochester School District that he decided to become a teacher.
"I can remember very distinctly deciding to become a teacher during the 6th grade. The problem was always trying to decide what grade level and what subject I wanted to focus on."
During high school, after being told that he would not be able to handle the rigors of Physics, Mr. Schwaller decided to prove his teachers wrong. Though his math abilities were very limited, he focused on obtaining as much conceptual information as possible.
"I took Chemistry, simply because I was not allowed to skip over it. I was seen by some of my teachers as not being gifted enough to make the jump."
After excelling in Chemistry, Mr. Schwaller finally got to take Physics, and scored perfect scores on his final exams, proving he could do what nobody else thought he could.
After high school, Mr. Schwaller attended the University of Wisconsin - River Falls, declaring a major in Physics Education. However, his lack of mathematic ability almost caused him to be put on academic probation.
"I could not handle the calculus aspect of Physics, especially since I was a C-student at best in Algebra. However, instead of my teachers telling me I couldn't handle it, my professors encouraged me to work hard towards my goal, and I did."
After a year of calculus, Mr. Schwaller returned to the Physics Department, and passed by with A's instead of D's. Also during this time, he made the decision to also pick up Chemistry as part of his major.
Over the course of his time at UWRF, Mr. Schwaller would earn several honors. He was on the Dean's List for 7 out of 10 semesters, was given Senior Honors upon graduating, and was selected into Sigma Pi Sigma, the National Honor Society of Physics.
"Being chosen for Sigma Pi Sigma was one of the greatest moments of my life. I made it in not only because of grades, but because of the potential that my professors saw in me. It was their nomination and their belief that I would be a future contributor to the field of Physics Education, that really made it special."
In 2003, Mr. Schwaller graduated from UWRF with a Bachelor's Degree in Broad Field Physical Science Secondary Education. This lead to his eventual hiring at Shiocton High School.
"I had several other opportunities, but this was the best situation for me. The department was small, but well equipped. I could do a lot of the activities that I wanted to do, but didn't have to worry about lab space, or usage. It was the job I was hoping to get."
At Shiocton High School, Mr. Schwaller has taught Physical Science, Chemistry, Physics, Experimental Chemistry, and Advanced Placement Chemistry. Over the course of his tenure, Mr. Schwaller has drifted away from traditional practices in science instruction, and has slowly transformed his curriculum's into an inquiry or modeling-based curriculum.
"Research has shown that student learn and gain more from the experience of learning science by doing science. Student engagement, high-order thinking skills, and problem solving are at the forefront of 21st Century Skills."
In 2008, Mr. Schwaller returned to school to work on his Master's Degree, attending the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. The University was offering a new Master's program in Science Curriculum and Instruction, which was exactly what he was looking for.
"A lot of Master's programs focus only on universal education ideas. I wanted something that could teach not only the way I teach, but the way I teach science."
In the summer of 2010, Mr. Schwaller graduated with a Master's of Science in Education in Science Curriculum and Instruction. As for the future, he is not sure what will come next.
"I am always looking for the next challenge. I am not one to get complacent. So I don't know, what the future holds. I've always thought Dr. Schwaller would have a nice ring to it."
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