More about Luke... I like Open School because the students and staff all want to be here, not because they are forced to be here. I have been at Open School since the fall of 2003. I have been in St. Paul Schools since 2002. My favorite thing to do at Open School is to have intelligent conversations with students. Outside of school, what I like to do best is spend time with my wife, Bridget. When I was growing up my favorite teacher taught me to think critically and to not just accept things as they are. This is something I try to do as an educator. Something that changed me forever was that my grandfather died the day I graduated from college. He was able to hold out and make sure that I graduated. He was my best friend when I was a child. Something that my grandparents taught my parents that they carried on and passed down to me was to make sure whatever I choose to do in life that I would be sure to make this world a better place. They also taught me how important it is to give back to the community. The hardest part of my parents? They grew up in an area that was not very diverse. A good thing to come out of that, though, because my parents made sure that their children grew up in the diverse urban environment of Minneapolis. The Open School philosophy is very familiar and comfortable to me because when I was growing up I attended an open program at South Minneapolis High School. My favorite teacher in high school was my social studies teacher, Mr. Golob. He helped me to see how interesting that topic can be. When I became a teacher it was natural for me to become a social studies teacher. I really enjoy diversity among people because in diverse groups we can share new ideas and experiences. My favorite classes to teach are classes where the students are actively engaged participants. I love to engage with a class in dialogue because conversations are great ways to learn new things. My best ideas come when I least expect it. I have lots of post-its everywhere with random ideas and thoughts. My worst habit is procrastinating. Being a teacher has helped me to see the value of NOT putting things off until the last minute. What I am looking forward to is seeing the seniors graduate from Open School. I look forward to helping people reach their goals and realize their own potential.