MWMS teacher takes Blended Learning students on journey outside the textbook

He’s a celebrated teacher in a non-traditional, middle-school classroom with a name as unique as the program he teaches.

Joseph Szoltysik teaches language arts and social studies in the cutting-edge Blended Learning program at Maricopa Wells Middle School. In May, he was voted one of three “Best of the Best” teachers at Maricopa Unified School District.

Students affectionately refer to him as “Mr. S.”

“The first thing I learned about Mr. Szoltysik was that his last name was nearly impossible to pronounce, but over the course of my three years at Wells, I learned much more,” said former student Emma Schrader. “I soon learned that our assignments would not follow the traditional classroom’s straight-out-of-the-textbook curriculum, but stay engaging.”

Blending Learning students like Schrader learn inside a “technology room” where they utilize computers and tablets during independent learning. They also receive direct instruction from two teachers and mentorship in group projects with their peers.

Inside Maricopa Wells, Szoltysik partners with Blended Learning instructor Robyn Rice, who teaches math and science. The pair splits around 70 students per day and are one of three Blended Learning cohorts at the school.

“Honestly, my favorite part of this job is trying to create lessons that I know they’re going to enjoy and run with,” Szoltysik said. “I always think of certain groups of kids when I’m writing a lesson plan and think, ‘What would they do with this?’”

His customized teaching philosophy is popular not only among students but fellow teachers as well. And it is a quality that helped get him nominate him for the district award.

Blended Learning teacher at Desert Wind Middle School Shannon Hull said Szoltysik’s mentorship helped her become a more creative and confident teacher when she entered the program three years ago.

“He showed me how to create lesson plans for Blended Learning that were thoughtful and engaging for students,” Hull wrote in the nomination form.

Szoltysik came to MWMS in 2008. He spent his first four years at the school teaching eighth grade English language arts and social studies in a traditional classroom. Szoltysik and his wife Jennifer, who teaches Blended Learning with Hull at DWMS.

He was one of the first teachers to spearhead the Blended Learning classroom in the district and has watched it evolve into an in-demand program.

MWMS Principal Rick Abel also nominated Szoltysik for the award. Mr. S said it was likely because of his loyalty and near decade spent at the school.

“I always felt like I wanted to be here when (MWMS) became what I know it can become,” he said.

For Szoltysik, that means becoming an A-rated district and middle school and all the factors that get them there – an effort he said they are close to reaching.

“I come back every year because I want to be a part of that celebration when we’re finally where we need to be.”

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This story appears in the October issue of InMaricopa.