“Good teaching is likely to result when thoughtful
implementation of good practices combined with content area
expertise are present. I believe the key for me lies in
my ability to communicate to the students that I have sufficient
expertise to teach them, but that I am still learning and
improving in my role. We are learning together. I openly
expect to learn from my students. As a result, my students
know that I am learning from them and that I am a better
teacher because of that learning. The students recognize
that they are part of an interactive learning environment
where all members are expected to learn and contribute in
a manner that positively impacts the larger community.”
“We must revise our notion of problem solving. It
has been a buzzword in education for as long as I have been
teaching. As a nation, we are failing at teaching our children
problem solving. I believe that we have been too focused
on skill acquisition and trivial problem solving ventures.
Our students can do so much more if we would only expect
them to. Teachers must be willing to pose relevant problems
that they don’t know the answers to. For example, how
shall we revise the Social Security System now to address
the anticipated monetary shortfalls regarding contributions
versus withdrawals in the near future? The mindset must
be that the task is genuine. It is worthy of our skills,
creativity, and collaborative efforts. Everyone has a stake
in the problem.”
Orange Grove Middle School’s Principal says, “Like
a Lute Olson pacing the sidelines at the Final Four, Steve
coaches and develops his students’ raw talent into
accomplished skill resulting in an amazingly high number
of his students going on to enroll in Advance Placement
math at our high school. Long before we educators were concerned
about connecting female students to the world of math, Steve
was purposefully thinking through strategies to help them
appreciate math and to see themselves as successful with
math. The U of A Math Education faculty constantly hound
me to let their students observe Steve in action.”
Mr. Kraus earned his Bachelor of Science in Education with
a major in Mathematics and a minor in Physics from the University
of Arizona, where he later earned his Masters in Teaching
and Teacher Education. He has been teaching for 15 years.
