From Scranton to Pittsburgh to Eisenhower High School, Tim Hanley is a product of blue collar Pennsylvania.
In his sixth year of teaching, Hanley wants his students to do more than learn. He wants them to think, to challenge, to analyze.
"William Butler Yeats states that 'Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire,'" Hanley said. "It is my goal as an educator to inspire students to develop a confident sense of self and spark that fire of independent thought."
"I want students to know that their voices matter and together we can achieve success in the classroom," he said.
Q: Please give us some biographical information - who you are, what you teach, where, what grade, how long have you been teaching, where are you from, where did you go to school (anything else you think is pertinent).
A: "My name is Tim Hanley. I teach eleventh grade and AP Literature and Composition as well as several electives. This will be my sixth year teaching."
"I am originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania. I attended The University of Pittsburgh for undergraduate and graduate school and lived in Pittsburgh for seven years."
Q: Why did you become a teacher?
A: I became a teacher to inspire students to think critically and analytically about the world they live in. I was also inspired by a great English teacher I had in high school.
Q: What do you find most rewarding about teaching?
A: The most rewarding moment in teaching comes when students realize the significance of the work you are doing in the classroom and apply that work to their lives.
Q: What frustrates you the most about teaching?
A: There never seems to be enough time to accomplish what you want in any given day.
Q: What advice could you give to someone who is thinking about becoming a teacher?
A: As a teacher be prepared for the unexpected and have patience and understanding.
Q: What career would you be in if you were not a teacher?
A: I don't think I would choose another career.
Q: If you could recommend one thing to parents (to help their children in school) what would it be?
A: Support your children in all their academic endeavors.