Social studies teacher Ian Nichols

What department are you in?

I am in the social studies department.

What will you be teaching?

I will be teaching sophomore World History and freshman Pre-AP Civics and Pre-AP World Geography.

What is your past experience of teaching?

Last year, I was a resource teacher here at Mill Valley and prior to that, I was a special education para.

Why did you choose to be a history teacher?

History was a always a subject I found really interesting. I find myself reading about history in my spare time. I figured it would be an interesting subject to teach and it’s something I’m passionate about.

What do you like about Mill Valley?

I like the students; the kids here are great. I like the school pride that has been displayed, I think kids really take pride that they go to a good school like Mill Valley. It’s just a great community to be a part of.

What made you want to switch from resource to history?

Well, I had been a licensed social studies teacher and I had been looking for a job. One came up and it’s something that I’ve been wanting to do. The opportunity presented itself and so I applied for it. I am very happy to be here.

Why did you choose a high school age to teach?

I think it’s an age group where the kids are a little bit more mature. I had experience student teaching in elementary school and middle school. It’s just cool to see the growth that students have between when they walk in as freshmen to when they graduate at the end of their four years.

What do you want your students to know about you?

I’m here for them if they ever have any questions or need any help outside of when they have me in class. I always want to help them. That’s my job and I want to make sure that they’re learning, that they get the most out of my classes and that I’ll be a good resource for that.

If any, what are your goals teaching-wise this school year?

I want to make sure that I get the most out of my students. I want to see them reach their maximum potential in the classroom and hopefully develop an interest in all the different types of social studies we teach. Obviously, I’m only teaching World Geography and World History, but I want them to be able to realize the importance of what has happened in the past and how that has shaped what is currently going on in our world.