Mike Berry:
At 30, I have been teaching for 10 years! I began substituting in the Sacramento area for all grades and all subjects beginning in 2000. I have a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno. I received many scholarships myself for my work in high school as Student Body Vice-President, Debate Club President, and Cross-Country Team Captain, all the while taking a most rigorous schedule including 6 AP courses. I went to the National Debate Competition for an oratory I wrote, and placed in numerous speech contests during my high school years. My teaching credential was earned through Chapman University, and I earned my Master's degree in Business Administration in 2005.
While never having attended culinary school, I have taught college-level culinary arts based on my vast experience in the food industry (running high school cafeterias) and management experience.
In my second year of teaching, I was voted "Teacher of the Year" by the senior class at Oak Ridge High School.
I currently teach English, Public Speaking, Television and Radio Production courses at Bella Vista High School. I have consulted with Holt Literature, reviewing English textbooks before they are released and approved for printing. This past year, I helped write our successful California Distinguished School Application and each year I earn thousands in grant money for our VAPA courses at BV.
I clearly recognize the gravity and potential that doing well on standardized tests means for the future of our students, as I have been part of the staff that has raised the API scores of BV students to over 800 in two continuous years, an unheard of feat.
I am also very honored and proud to work in conjunction with John Bullock, who's unequaled qualifications speak for themselves. The bottom line for me is that this is a labor of love. I want to have a positive impact on my students, and I know we are offering the best service for the best price.
Feel free to e-mail me directly!
John Bullock:
Hi folks! First of all, I want to thank you for your interest to get here. Mr. Berry and I are honored that you have taken the time to look into our program. We encourage you to take a look at the other SAT prep companies, both the local and national ones, and focus on both their price and their "instructors." We think you will find our program beats their price and quality. Okay, here's my teaching story.
My teaching began in a small farming community north of Sacramento in 1988, called Gridley High School. Go Bulldogs! I was six years older than many of my students. Ha! That was such a long time ago. Twenty-one years later, from high school - to middle school - back to high school, I have taught every math class from prealgebra to Calculus. Now my home is at Del Campo High School. Del Campo is a great place to be. This year I am fortunate enough to be teaching Algebra 1B, Geometry, Algebra 2, and AP Statistics. Should be fun.
I earned my degree in mathematics from CSU Chico. I paid for most of my education back then as a firefighter for the California Department of Forestry (CDF) and the United States Forest Service (USFS). I also obtained several student loans that took many years to pay off I remember. Along with my teaching credential, I earned my Masters in Education through Grand Canyon University in 2008. I also have a degree in Forestry, was a counselor, and coached the Mathcounts team to many regional awards for several years at Winston Churchill Middle School.
I came from a family of educators. My father taught at Woodland High School for over 30 years. My mother was a special education teacher in Woodland for over 40 years. (In fact, at 75, my mother still teaches part time. Wow!) My grandparents were teachers. My sister and her husband even teach in Southern California. My dad often jokes of where he went wrong with us. He is my hero.
I have been lucky enough to receive awards as The Most Influential Teacher multiple times, the prestigious Teacher of the Year award, and have been represented in Who's Who in America's Teachers.
In my 21 years in education (and several schools), I have served on the leadership roles of Site Base, textbook selection committees, adapting curriculum for Special Education, was a speech judge for ACA DECA, served on test writing committees for both the state and district, was a track coach, attended numerous AVID training workshops for both Bella Vista and Del Campo High Schools, and was on the famous Bella Vista Chain Gang crew. I also served as the math department chair for nine years at Bella Vista High School. I'm sure there's more that I have forgotten. I have taught SAT prep classes at multiple locations over the past eleven years through three different companies.
Mike Berry and I have decided to put together our unique SAT prep class that virtually all other companies cannot offer. Both he and I are San Juan Unified high school teachers that are actually in the classroom teaching these subjects everyday. We know and understand the dynamics of the classroom and what teenagers are expected to know for these tests. Plus, the price you will pay is hundreds less than those other companies who have non-credentialed "teachers" running their class. I am sure you will be pleased with our price and instruction. Our bottom line is we want you to succeed on the SAT.
Thanks again for trusting B&B TestPrep with your success
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Feel free to e-mail me directly!