Email Address: gregory.xenakes@bsd.k12.de.us

Phone/Voicemail: 302-479-1621 Ext. 230

Room Number: 230

About Me

My Education:

I graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, with a concentration in the Social Sciences, in 1993. I‘ve earned certifications in Middle School Social Studies, Mathematics and Special Education.

My Experience: After spending 15 years as a sportswriter/editor for college football and basketball, I returned to the classroom and began substitute teaching almost exclusively at Springer Middle School, with several long-term assignments over the course of 2 ½ years. In January 2017 I was hired full-time at Brandywine High School in the Special Education Department, focusing on Civics/Economics and History, before returning to Springer in August.

Teaching Philosophy:

I’m going to borrow a quote from William Arthur Ward here… “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”

My goal is not only to provide students with the information/content they will need in school to be successful, but to give them a safe place to take advantage of the opportunities they are being afforded. Be an active learner, get out of your seat and cooperate with classmates, learning and growing reaches far beyond the printed page. Learning should be a living, breathing entity that exists outside the walls of the school building as teachable moments surround us and we are responsible for using them to the fullest potential.

Favorite Quotes:

“Every child deserves a champion – an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.” -Rita Pierson

“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” - Neil Peart

Personal Interests:

Spending time with my wife Jennifer, who is the Educational Audiologist in the Brandywine School District, watching my daughter excel in her studies during her time in the BSD, and sending her off to college at Drexel this year as a chemical engineering student.

I also enjoy spending time at the shore (not the beach!), fishing, riding roller coasters, collecting music and going to concerts (1,100 and counting…)