Joseph Kapustka

I am an enthusiastic educator from the United States certified to teach secondary math and psychology. My passion lies in empowering students through education and developing their critical thinking skills. Over the past four years I have taught in the United States and Spain across a variety of subjects including Math, English, Physical Education, and Music. I am especially interested in international education and I strive to utilize my unique background and experience to provide a dynamic and engaging education.

I have spent the past four years honing my skills as an educator in a myriad of environments, including mentoring, student teaching, and full classroom instruction. As part of my Secondary Education Certification in Mathematics and Psychology, I had the opportunity to support five schools, in five different capacities. In my final school as a student teacher, I held the full-time role of lead-teaching classes of 9th to 11th graders in Algebra, Pre-Calculus, and Applied Trigonometry. In this role, I led classes centered on developing mathematical understanding through student discovery. Math is a process of using logic and reasoning to construct arguments, and in these classes, I strengthened my ability to support students to think critically both in math and in any problem-solving context thereafter. 

Following my student teaching, I decided to expand my abilities as a teacher by learning Spanish to effectively communicate with English Language Learners. During my two years teaching in Galicia, I developed lessons and techniques to support English Language Learners, while adjusting to the requirements of the Spanish curriculum. This change in setting was an incredible learning experience for me as I had to be adaptable working in Music, Physical Education, English, and Computer Technology classes. Each of which, were classes I had no prior experience with. In this environment, I found the effectiveness of integrating multiple subjects in order to deepen student learning. 

This interest in integrative instruction led me to my current position in Boston where I have extended my knowledge of these methods, finding ways to fuse life, literacy, and tennis skills to under-resourced students. Working in this program gave me a different perspective on how a class can operate as a team atmosphere and solidified the importance of forming strong relationships with students. With this breadth of experience, I find myself capable of providing adaptable and innovative teaching, contributing to the holistic education offered at the British School of Seville.

I obtained my Secondary Teaching Certification from the University of Michigan School of Education. This program was highlighted by a three-semester sequence of education courses including classroom fieldwork which coincided with education theory classes. Through this model, I was able to study key elements of effective pedagogy while observing and practicing such methods. I studied topics such as behavior management, cultural influence, literacy in mathematics, and technology in education, along with a variety of teaching secondary mathematics courses in conjunction with classroom experience. This system allowed me to analyze the functionality of a classroom and inform my teaching through strategic decision-making. This education program prepared me to be an expert in both mathematical content as well as educational instruction.