Meet+Mr.+T


 * MEET MR. **** T This page is an intro page to me as a person and teacher. I include it because it is important that the student be able to make an emotional connection with the instructor. Dr. Sprick explains that doing this achieves positive results in the student, in effort and behavior, because it shows a degree of respect in that I am letting the student somewhat into my life and see my desire to be a positive influence in theirs. In short, if I show them I care, they will in turn care. In a high structure classroom I would focus my narrative more on the theme of overcoming odds and fighting against the odds to succeed. **

So, this is basically just a page about me, Mr. Triola, so you can get to know me a little, how I work, what makes me tick, and why I think it’s important you know this stuff.

I became a teacher basically out of my failure to make a career out of acting. (I know, right? Not exactly a Disney-You-can-do-anything-you-want kind of way to start a story about why I'm a teacher.) I'd love to tell you I always wanted to be a teacher since I was little, but that just wouldn't be the truth. The truth is, I always wanted to be an actor. I acting in high school and college, performing in over 35 theatrical productions. I wanted a bigger challenge, so I moved to New York City and got a job at a dinner theatre in Manhattan, getting my Actors Equity card and continued to audition for Broadway and Regional shows. Acting for a living is rough, and I wanted to eventually have a family, so I had to make a choice. I realized I could not have everything I wanted in life. No one can. So I gave up my dream.

It was hard at first, but the nice thing about life is that when one dream fades, another comes around. I channeled my love to be inspired from acting to teaching, returned to school to obtain my Masters in English Education, and found a beautiful woman to spend my life with. We are getting married 0n April 21, 2012 and have a wonderful 3 year old son. I would have never been able to have this wonderful family if I continued in acting, the way I thought I was meant to.

The reason I feel that this story is important to you as a student is because I want you to know that even though some things won’t turn out like you hoped, there’s always a new path to find, a new direction to lead you to something new and wonderful, and a way to get there if you just hold on to the truth of who you are.

This class is about trying things on, seeing what works, and applying English to whatever you end up doing, and whatever you end up doing after that. There are a hundred different paths in life, and my goal is to help give you the tools to try out as many as you like. Welcome to Mr. Triola’s Classroom.