getting to know me...

Welcome friends and thanks for visiting my site. I have been a journalist for more than 30 years before I changed career paths to become a high school English teacher. I am author of eight books including: LeBron James: The Rise of a Star; More Than a Coach: What It Means to Play for Coach, Mentor, and Friend Jim Tressel; The Massillon Tigers: 15 for 15; and High School Heroes: Stories of Inspiration, Dedication, and Hope. I earned a Bachelor's Degree from Youngstown State University in Professional Writing and Editing with a minor in Journalism through the English Department.  I am married to my wonderful and beautiful wife Jill and we have a blended family of seven adult children, our grandson Avery, along with a  wonderful chocolate lab named D.J.  Family is important to us and anytime we can safely get together is always a special time for us. 

I love what I do every single day. Educating young people is a blessing that I will always cherish. As an English teacher and professional writer, one of the things that I stress to my students is the importance of constantly developing and improving their writing skills. Reading frequently leads to better writing skills. Being able to effectively communicate thoughts and ideas is one of the most important skills I feel I will teach my students. I always maintain a classroom environment that encourages and supports creativity. Thanks for visiting my site and please come back.