Ian, how long have you been in education, and can you please explain your role at Tobin?
I have been in education for 7 of the last 9 years. Counting my internship, I have been at Tobin for four of those years. During the 3 years I was not at Tobin, I worked as a paraprofessional in an elementary and a high school. My role as the School Adjustment Counselor is to work with members of Tobin Montessori to address social, emotional and behavioral issues. This could take the form of sitting down with an individual student during school based counseling, working with a group of students to address a social concern or collaborating with staff and parents about how to best support a student in the classroom.
What are some things you love about your job?
I really enjoy collaborating with the students to overcome a challenge or problem they may face during their school day. I believe that this is a great way to address an issue while also helping our students grow as individuals.
What are you most proud of during your time at Tobin?
I am really proud of the weekend backpack program, which is run by a Tobin parent, Alanna Mallon. The program provides packed lunches and snacks for students whose families are food insecure. I am also really proud of 2nd step, which is a curriculum that covers empathy training, emotion regulation and problem solving skills. I have been going into the Children’s House classrooms to teach these lessons in the Fall, and I feel it’s been beneficial for the kids and is a great way for me to meet our new Tobin students.
What do you like to do during your free time?
In a nutshell, I really like to be outside. These days I am most excited to be rock climbing in New Hampshire and Western Massachusetts or surfing with my wife in New England or other warmer locations. I also enjoy snowboarding, hiking and running.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? :)
That’s a tough one… Grilled sword fish with rice pilaf followed by my grandmother’s blueberry pie.