Daniel Newman of Elizabethtown, Derry Township, Pennsylvania is an expert teacher of Spanish, who has been teaching for ten years, starting in an educational leadership role in 2013 as a teacher at New Albany High School in New Albany, Indiana, where he taught levels I, II, Dual Credit/IB level course of Spanish III, and piloted a Heritage Spanish course. While at New Albany High School, he also headed up the New Albany High School Spanish Club. After teaching Spanish at Tigard High School in Tigard, Oregon, where he taught IB Spanish I and II to over thirty students who were able to complete and master the IB Spanish test and receive the IB diploma, Daniel Newman then spent two years as a Spanish teacher at Northern High School in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania. While there, he taught levels I, II, III, and IV Spanish, as well as sponsored the Spanish Club. Next, Mr. Newman taught Spanish I and II at Elizabethtown Middle School and High School in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. His most recent post is at GREEN Charter School in Greenville, South Carolina, teaching Social Studies to 7th and 8th graders. In his most recent role, Daniel Newman has taught South Carolina History, Geography, and sponsors the Rho Kappa and Jr. Rho Kappa Honors Society.
Daniel Newman graduated from Cleveland High School in 2005 with a full International Baccalaureate diploma. After which, he attended Brandeis University from 2005-2009, where he was a double major in History and Latin American studies. He was adventurous and fortunate enough to study abroad in Grenada, Spain in the autumn of 2007, and in Cochabamba, Bolivia in the spring of 2008. He then studied at Millersville University, where he earned a post baccalaureate degree and teacher certification in 2012. To round out his educational background, Mr. Newman achieved the level of Master of Arts in Spanish in 2015 at the University of Louisville.
Daniel Newman has a long history of volunteerism, whether in Elizabethtown, Derry Township, Pennsylvania or the various places he has lived and spent his time helping others throughout his educational career and journey. As recent as 2019, he was a little league t-ball coach in Derry Township, Pennsylvania. Prior to that, Mr. Newman worked with Amigos de las Américas. While working with that organization, Dan Newman spent six years between the Portland, Oregon and Boston, Massachusetts chapters. During his time with Amigos de las Americas, Daniel worked in Dajabón, Dominican Republic and Canazas, Panama as a volunteer teaching health, nutrition, environmental sustainability, and English to school children. He was also part of a sustainable construction project that renovated a school and built a roofed meeting space. Whether through his volunteership or work as a teacher, Daniel Newman has always demonstrated his dedication to the education of his students and people in general. He embodies the idea of an instructor living what they teach.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
If my students are interacting with the material, in motion, discussing content and making inferences and extrapolations from the material, then that is what I would consider a productive day.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I try to find engaging material, usually curated by the interests of my students, and if I am lucky I can create something fun and entertaining and educational that they will appreciate and learn from.
What’s one trend that excites you?
The ability for students to create their own content and even teach material and become experts in that allows for self determination and independence and pride in their work. The incredible abundance of technology and programs helps make learning more accessible for all learners.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
One habit that helps me stay productive is to break down large tasks in small, achievable goals and set timelines for each. This allows me to focus on one task at a time and track my progress more easily. Additionally, I like to use productivity apps and digital tools to ensure that I’m remaining organized with my projects.
What advice would you give your younger self?
The interests you have can change, it is okay to try new things, learn about unknown or scary topics, and it is important to get to know about the world and all the great cultures and people you might encounter.
Tell us something you believe that almost nobody agrees with you on?
I believe that educational institutions should place more value on experiential learning, such as participating in volunteering or other community initiatives, rather than relying solely on traditional teaching methods. This type of learning helps to develop problem-solving skills and build empathy and understanding of different cultures, while also teaching important lessons about responsible citizenship.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
My recommendation for everyone is to make time for yourself each day. It’s important to find a balance between taking care of yourself and your duties as a student, teacher, or professional. Taking even just 15 minutes out of your day to focus on something that you enjoy can have an incredibly positive effect on your well-being. Whether it’s reading, meditating, listening to music, exercising, or anything else that makes you feel relaxed and content, carving out this time can help reduce stress and improve productivity throughout the rest of your day.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I believe that educational institutions should place more value on experiential learning, such as participating in volunteering or other community initiatives, rather than relying solely on traditional teaching methods. This type of learning helps to develop problem-solving skills and build empathy and understanding of different cultures, while also teaching important lessons about responsible citizenship.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
A strategy that has helped me to grow my business or advance in my career is creating meaningful relationships with my students by forming a bond through trust and understanding. I always strive to be an approachable educator, taking the initiative to get to know each of my students as individuals and helping them feel secure in their learning environment. This helps me create personalized teaching plans based on their individual needs, which facilitates a better learning experience for everyone. Additionally, I make sure to stay up-to-date with current educational trends and technological advancements in order to create more effective lesson plans. These strategies have enabled me to enhanced communication between myself and my students while also allowing both of us grow together academically.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
One failure I experienced in my career was underestimating how much time certain projects would take. I overcame this issue by breaking down the tasks into more manageable chunks and setting clear deadlines for myself. This allowed me to stay focused on one task at a time, while still meeting the larger project goals. The experience taught me the importance of understanding and planning out tasks carefully before embarking on them, as well as taking regular breaks throughout projects in order to reset and refocus.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
My business idea is to create a platform that facilitates language exchanges between speakers of different languages. This would allow people around the world to connect with each other in order to practice their skills and expand their cultural knowledge. The platform would also provide resources such as audio files, videos, and interactive activities that help users learn at their own pace. Additionally, there could be options for private tutoring sessions or group conversations for networking and conversation practice. By leveraging technology, this platform can make learning accessible for all learners with the convenience of being online.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
One piece of software that helps me stay productive is Trello. I use it to track and organize tasks for my day-to-day work, and it also allows me to collaborate with other people on projects. I find it particularly useful for visualizing steps in complex tasks, so I can easily prioritize them and stay on top of deadlines. It’s a great tool that helps keep me organized, motivated, and productive!
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
My favorite book is “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. This book provides insight into understanding the concept of mindful living, and how to be present in each moment without being controlled by thought or emotion. It has helped me focus on my awareness rather than worrying about the future, and I find it very helpful for staying grounded and connected with myself. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for guidance when it comes to personal growth and development.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
Recently I enjoyed watching the series “The Mandalorian”. It’s a fantasy adventure set in a galaxy far, far away and follows a mysterious lone gunfighter on his journey to protect The Child. It was great for fans of the Star Wars franchise as it refers back to many elements of the original movies while still offering something new and exciting. From incredible action sequences to epic battles, there is something for everyone in this series. Plus, it has an interesting story that keeps you hooked until the end!
Key learnings
- Focus on making a meaningful connection with students by forming a bond through trust and understanding.
- Educational institutions should place more value on experiential learning that develop problem-solving skills and build empathy and understanding of different cultures.
- The incredible abundance of technology and programs helps make learning more accessible for all learners.
Steve (Stefan) Junge hails from Germany and helps with the day-to-day publishing of interviews on IdeaMensch. While he and Mario don’t share a favorite soccer club, their enthusiasm to help entrepreneurs is a shared passion.