NAME:
Nyssa Patten
SCHOOL:
Watertown High School
CLASS:
Sheltered History, ESL
SCHOOL EMAIL:
nyssa.patten@watertown.k12.ma.us
I have been teaching at Watertown High School since 2007. Previously I
taught adults in Boston, and most recently I was the ESL tutor at Lincoln-
Sudbury Regional High School.
I studied violin performance in college, but I don't play my violin much
anymore. Instead, I do Irish folk dancing. No, I'm not Irish, but I love
to go to Ireland almost every summer.
Dear students,
I will be teaching Sheltered US History and ESL. We will learn all
about the country we live in. But we will also be learning something else,
something more important.
What is this, you ask? English? Reading? Writing? No, it is
called thinking. Yes, knowing US History will help you get good grades,
pass the test, take the MCAS, graduate high school, get into college, find a
good job and make lots of money. But: in order to accomplish these things,
you must first know how to think. If you can think, you will have the
ability to go out and learn what you are really interested in.
Thinking is the most important thing you learn in high school. In
five years, you probably won’t remember all the history we learned in this
class. However, the skills you learn here, you will keep and use for the rest
of your life. You will use them in every class. You will use them every
year. You will use them in college, in your job, and most importantly, you
will use them to do what you want to in your life. Successful people think.
Your brain is a muscle – the more you use it, the easier it gets to
think. Now, if you wanted to get big arm muscles, would you go to the gym
and start by lifting 800 pounds? No, of course not. You would start with a
small weight, and gradually lift more and more. We will do the same thing
in class. We will practice every day.
In order to get stronger faster and lift safely, most people hire a
personal trainer to help them. That is my role. Of course, your personal
trainer cannot lift the weights for you. That means I will not be thinking
for you, nor will I give you the answers. However, I will guide you and
help you become mature, intelligent, responsible young adults. That is my
job.
Your job is to try.