To predict and influence the future, citizens must understand the past.
PORTFOLIO
Walter Sprague Hearnes
Instructor of Social Studies and English
If you are seeking a social studies teacher who can cover a range of subjects on multiple grade levels, please read on. My 245 college credits and eight years of teaching experience are complemented by the life experience that I bring to the classroom, which is described in this portfolio.
Philosophy of Education
Monday through Friday, between eight o’clock and three o’clock, twenty percent of this entire nation is sitting in a classroom. It is vitally important that the adults hired to teach and guide the next generation understand that the planet is currently experiencing the most profound political, economic, and cultural changes since the Industrial Revolution started shifting society from rural agriculture to urban industry two centuries ago.
Read more…
To read my complete philosophy of education, please click here.
Areas of Expertise – Teaching Experience
History, literature, and social studies at the lower, middle, and upper school levels.
Charleston
High School
All Saints’
Episcopal School
Kelly
High School
Content Areas: U.S. History & Literature, 1861 to Present; Black History; Western Civilization; European History; Modern Europe;
Current Events; Comparative Government; U.S. Government; Introductory Economics; Orientation to Work
Focused Accomplishments
- Authored series of Great Lives biographies and worksheets.
- Created and operated highly successful summer History Boot Camp for ages 10-16.
- Created Foundations of History course for upper level students.
- Created custom curriculum to foster reading comprehension, essay writing and group discussion.
- Utilized materials from other disciplines to enhance relevancy for all students and increase motivation for low achievers.
- Created positive teacher-parent collaboration through constant communication and effective partnering with parents.
- Selected as representative on multi-division curriculum committee.
- Prepared monthly curriculum integration reports for all divisions.
- Effectively instructed sixth-grade students in college-level topics.
Academic Degree – Continuing Education
Bachelor of Science in Education, double major in English and Social Studies from Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri,
Missouri Lifetime Teaching Certificate, licensed in:
Social Studies, Grades 7-12
English, Grades 7-12
Core Curriculum, Grades 7-9
Since 2003, my academic degree has been supplemented by over 175 courses from The Great Courses / The Teaching Company. A full listing of courses I have completed can be viewed by clicking the thumbnail above.
Curriculum Development
This section includes some of the teaching materials which I have created: original classroom handouts, instructional aids developed for classroom or home school use, and elective course outlines.
Fact Sheet:
Terrorism
Fact Sheet:
World War I
Children’s Stories &
Discussion Questions
Historical Biographies
History Boot Camp
In addition to the samples shown above, I have created over 6,000 classroom handouts and instructional aids suitable for classroom or home school use, and outlines for a year-long elective course based on historical patterns of civilization and a second elective course which instructs students on the interaction of economics and politics.
Novels by Walter Sprague Hearnes
When my wife accepted a transfer to the East Coast in 2006, I decided to take a break from teaching to create several historical novels shown below. These novels help the reader to gain a better understanding of the world, past and present. As a lifelong learner, I believe that works of fiction can have as much educative value as the classroom materials I have developed.
You could not find a more enthusiastic, respectful teacher who has a teaching ability par excellence. He is organized, thoroughly grounded in his subject, thoroughly prepared for his classes, and continually seeking ways to enrich his curriculum. I heartily recommend Walter Hearnes for a position on your faculty.
We sincerely believe All Saints will be hard-pressed to find a replacement of the quality and character of Walter Hearnes. Moreover, Mr. Hearnes would be a fine addition to any teaching faculty of the school that hires him. We, without hesitation, strongly recommend Mr. Hearnes as a teacher to your school.
Aside from his superior qualifications as a classroom instructor, Walter has been deeply supportive of, and committed to, the spiritual foundation of All Saints’ Episcopal School. In my eleven years as the school Chaplain, I have never met a teacher more supportive of our spiritual component to educating the whole person.
Because of your creative teaching and apparent love for what you do, it creates a learning atmosphere that was the most popular in the entire 6th grade. You make writing the monthly tuition check less painful!
We will still be talking years from now about how wonderful Lauren’s 6th grade experience was, and you were an incredibly material part of that. We hope many students in the years to come will benefit from your continued instruction.
It wasn’t just in the class that he shined. He was the morning and afternoon greeter at carpool. No one could have possibly exuded more warmth or enthusiasm. Always smiling and ALWAYS funny, he brightened the children’s and parent’s day with ease.
I loved and was most impressed with his “bios” of each child including their grades, progress, strengths, weaknesses, etc. I enjoyed these reports so much and have never had a teacher do this.
Garrett became fascinated with history, government, social issues, etc. during his 6th grade year due primarily to the way you engaged him and made him think and reason beyond the hard facts presented in History books.