5th Grade ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS / SOCIAL STUDIES

Classes: 5A, 5B

Teacher: Mr. Szopinski

Email: [email protected]

Teacher Biography

Mr. Szopinski attended Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, AZ, and received a Bachelor of Arts in English, as well as two Undergraduate Certificates in Creative Writing and Literature.  During this time, he worked as an English tutor for incoming freshman, meeting individually with students and reinforcing the mechanics of critical reading and writing.   

Upon completing his degree, Mr. Szopinski realized his passion was not only for the English language, but for English education.  He decided to continue his education at NAU and received his Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language, a degree he earned with distinction (achieving a perfect 4.0 GPA).  During this time, he taught English in a variety of different contexts, primarily working as an educator in NAU’s College of Engineering, where he taught technical writing and communication.  

After finishing school and searching for a fresh and exciting challenge in his teaching career, Mr. Szopinski began working as an Elementary Teacher in Phoenix, AZ.  He considers the change from adult to elementary education to be the single greatest move of his career, and he has never felt happier or more fulfilled than when he began teaching children.   

Mr. Szopinski believes the art of teaching, at its most essential, comes down to two things: teaching with the heart, and teaching with the mind.  Teaching with the heart includes continuously advocating for students and their ongoing success, not only in the classroom, but throughout their lives.  Teaching with the mind includes not simply being a teacher, but an informed teacher, blending teacher insight with data analysis.  As the 5th Grade ELA Teacher at AMS Camelback, he strives to incorporate both aspects into his teaching.