Tyler Consolidated High School Teacher Robert Schupbach said his continuously evolving educational philosophy can best be summed up by the C’s – content, civics, creativity, community, collaboration, and caring.
“Setting forth with these objectives creates a holistic curriculum, promotes innovative instruction, and creates an environment that serves the whole student,” Mr. Schupbach said. “I never miss an opportunity to learn from my students. Although cliché, I find myself thankful that I became an educator, as it has allowed me to become more reflective of my personal goals and objectives. For my students, it presents an opportunity for me to instill an intrinsic desire to learn, and to squash the ignorance that might hamper the lifelong learning needed to be successful in the twenty-first century.”
As an educator since 2011 and one who teaches civics, AP U.S. government and politics, and theatre, Mr. Schupbach said he wanted to become a teacher to help bring a sense of civic knowledge and responsibility to his students.
“For the past two years, my AP U.S. government and politics students have competed in the district and state We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution Program’s Congressional hearings from the Center of Civic Education. Under the guidance of the We the People director for the state of West Virginia, Mrs. Rebecca Tinder, I had the great fortune of participating in The James Madison Legacy Project in 2016. The JMLP was a three-year research initiative of the Center of Civic Education focusing on civics education. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) program, the JMPL delivered professional development in civics education to over five- hundred schools throughout the nation that serve low socioeconomic students. After participating in the second cohort and subsequent trainings and seminars, I became a true believer in the power of civics literacy and the need for high-quality civics education.”
Mr. Schupbach said he believes a content-rich curriculum should not be mutually exclusive of inquiry and project-based learning.
“Although my instructional procedures include some of the more traditional aspects of a well-planned lesson, I engage students with a marriage of core knowledge and inquiry-based activities.”
An active member of his school community, Schupbach serves on the school’s Curriculum/Leadership Team, Local School Improvement Council, and the Counseling Team. In addition to being the Theatre Director and Fine Arts Chairperson, Schupbach is also the Advisor for the International Thespian Society Troupe #8668 and the Silver Knight Players at TCHS and is a member of the Educational Theatre Association. He serves as an Adult Advisor for Sources of Strength, is the coach for the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution team at TCHS, mentors the Class of 2022 Executive Committee, and holds honorary membership in the Tyler FFA. He is a member of the Tyler County Education Association, West Virginia Education Association, and National Education Association.