I was born in Iowa City, Iowa on November 16, 1981 to Mike and Chris Connell. I also have a sister Kelly who currently lives in Iowa City as well. I have a fiancee, Michelle, from Normal, Illinois who is attending Des Moines University to become a Doctor in Physical Therapy. We are getting married on June 16, 2007 in Iowa City after she graduates.

I went to high school at Iowa City, City High and after high school I attended the University of Iowa on a wrestling scholarship before transferring to Wartburg College where I earned my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Physical Education in May of 2006.

After graduating from Wartburg College I went to Eddyville-Blakesburg Community School District where I am a K-8 physical education teacher in Blakesburg and head wrestling coach at the high school in Eddyville. If you would like you can look at my credential cover, resume, references and letters of recommendation, academic record, philosophy of education, or you can contact me to look at my portfolio.

As a teacher I really want to get the most out of my students by optimizing their learning experience, and making sure they have fun. It is especially important in physical education to make sure students build a firm foundation of skills and knowledge in a fun and positive environment so they can feel success in physical education and make being fit a life long process.

Being a physical education teacher is something that I have wanted to do since I was in high school. I truly want to make a difference in the lives of today’s youth, and I believe physical education is the best way for me to do just that. Understanding how to be physically active and what being healthy means may be the most important part of everyone’s life. No matter what my students decide to pursue in the future, they need to understand the importance of physical activity and how that relates to being a complete person.

As a physical education teacher, I will want to base grades more on effort rather than performance. I like this because I know that in regular classes a student can put in a lot of time and effort and still receive a bad grade. This is where I feel it is easier for me because if a person is putting forth all their effort and doing what they can, even if they lack coordination or skills, I can still give them a good grade.

As a teacher I strongly believe it is very important to plan. A motto I try to live by not only in teaching but also in life is, "fail to plan, plan to fail." I have found that it is imperative to plan out what you want to do each and every day well in advance in order to be a good teacher. I believe that when you plan extensively you are setting yourself up for success.

I really want to be a teacher because I love working with and helping kids. Teaching students and helping them find success in physical education is rewarding. I have found that students do not care how much I know until they know how much I care, and because of this I always try and let my students know that I care about each and every one of them. I am very passionate about teaching and that passion is reflected not only in myself but in my students.

I want my students to be physically active not just in my class but throughout their lives, so it is very important for me to give them a good experience in my physical education class. If they hate physical education, they are more likely to be sedentary than people who really get involved. I find it very important to educate, motivate, and get everyone to feel good about themselves and physical activity. I believe it is very important to be physically fit and I want to be the person that leads my students to a lifetime of being physically active.

I have also been very successful in wrestling over the years. I have wrestled since the second grade, so I have quite a bit of experience in wrestling. As with teaching I am very passionate about coaching, I have known for a long time that teaching and coaching is something that I want to do for the rest of my life. I really want to give back to the sport that has given me so much over the years. I love wrestling and I am happy to help others reach their full potential not only in wrestling but as a person. Wrestling has taught me many things over the years like hard work, perseverance, teamwork, leadership, good sportsmanship, self discipline, competitiveness, and confidence. The great thing about wrestling is these characteristics have not only helped me in wrestling but in life as well. These characteristics and others will assist me in becoming a successful teacher and coach.

I have had many accomplishments in wrestling which include winning Iowa state titles in folkstyle, freestyle and greco, wrestling varsity at the University of Iowa, and finishing second at Division III Nationals. Not only have I been successful at every level individually but as a team as well. I have been part of a state championship team in high school at Iowa City, City High, a National Championship team at Wartburg College, and part of National runner-up teams at the University of Iowa and Wartburg.

I started coaching while I was finishing up my degree at Wartburg College at Waverly-Shell Rock High School in Waverly, Iowa. Waverly-Shell Rock is quickly becoming one of the premier wrestling programs in the state by winning traditional and dual state titles in 2005 and placing third at traditional state and fourth at state duals in 2006. I was lucky to be an assistant coach there during the 2005-2006 school year. In the 2006-2007 school I started to be the head wrestling coach for Eddyville-Blakesburg High School which is a 2A school in southern Iowa. If you would like you can look at my wrestling resume or reach some of my references. If you have any questions or would like to contact me you can e-mail me at tazwr157@aol.com. Thank you.