Hello, m Mr. ! My name is Steve Munzel (pronounced: MUN-ZELL ) but I prefer to be called either Mr. Munzel or just Mr. M. (a nickname which only my students, past and present, are allowed to use). I am married and have two daughters. You may get the chance to meet one of my children during the year. When I was in college, I majored in both History and Geography. My Masters Degree is in Education. Twice I have attended the Writing Project at San Jose State University and the History-Social Studies Project there. I have been the Instructional Supervisor for the Social Studies Department and I am the webmaster of a web site about local history. Oh, and I am fond of jazz. When I came to JLS, it was named Wilbur. Back then, I taught English. I began the school newspaper soon after arriving (a copy is hanging on the wall). Later, I was the yearbook advisor for six years and I taught Creative Writing for five years. In 1990 I joined the JLS Social Studies Department. You may have a brother or sister who once was in one of my classes. Your teachers for social studies, math, English, and science are the members of Team Jane Addams. We meet together each week to plan joint activities and coordinate homework assignments. Sometimes we meet with parents and students who need special help.
Some of my former students say that I am a structured teacher. They say that I give an average amount of work, that my tests are hard, but that my projects are fun. They also say that I have a funny sense of humor and use awful puns. Sometimes my silly, satirical wit is confused with sarcasm but I never deliberately try to hurt feelings. Above all, my former students say that I am very fair in grading them and that I am always nice to students who are nice in my classroom. Students usually enjoy the experience of having been in my class more if they’ve kept up with their homework. The best time to chat with me about a problem is after school at TEAM. The worst time to try to get help from me is during class while I am conducting a lesson. You can stop by room 630 after school to chat or share a new joke, too! I am looking forward to being with you this year. We will get to know each other and learn more about the history and government of our nation. In doing that, we can learn more about why we live as we do today.
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