Hello Everyone,

My name is Gary Wirtz and I will be working with the students in the spring semester of 2020. I
will be working with them in Sociology alongside Ms. Ortogero. I am currently in my senior
year at the University of Hawaii West Oahu Studying education to become a teacher. After
completing this semester, I will be receiving my teaching credentials, and will no longer be a
student teacher but a full-time teacher.

As a student teacher, I will be in the classroom working with your student from January to May.
With the supervision of Mrs. Ortogero, I will be designing different lessons to teach to the class
as well as grading paper, taking attendance, administering tests, and assigning projects to be
completed. This is my first opportunity working with Mrs. Ortogero, but I will be observing how
she handles working with the students as well as classroom management, strategies for teaching,
and how she delivers the content. I will not try to reinvent the wheel and come up with new ideas
and concepts for the students to be doing so that they will not get confused of what it is that they
are being asked to do.

I have 8 years of experience working with the youth as a coach in Pop Warner football and
Waialua Little League baseball. I am now and have been for the last 2 years been a coach for the
varsity football team here at Waialua. I was also for 1 season helping coach the JV baseball
team. I volunteered for roughly 5 years in Sunday school at North Shore Christian Fellowship
working with the kindergarteners and the 1st graders. Once I started coaching and working with
the youth, I knew that I wanted to be more of a positive influence than just coaching and wanted
to continue working more with the youth. I was working construction as an electrical apprentice
and work got slow and I was laid off. This was my chance to take advantage of my G.I. Bill and
purse my passion of getting my degree and becoming a teacher where I could continue working
with the youth.

I have 2 teenage sons that are both in sports, so I spend most of my time if not on the field
coaching, going to an event that they are participating in. In my free time I like to catch up on
well needed sleep. Depending on the time of year I watch as much sports as I can. If the timing is
just right and all of the moons are aligned properly, I get the chance to go fishing. I try to go
camping as well and that happens maybe once a year.

I am excited and looking forward to working with you student this semester. If you have any
questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at gwirtz.hawaii.edu. or come by the
classroom at V-103 after school hours. I will be available to talk to for at least 30 minutes after
the bell rings at the end of the school day.

Sincerely,