Andy Hodson views his classroom as a laboratory in which he and his students are seeking the next insight that will allow them to succeed in the broadest sense of that word. As a social studies teacher at North Central High School, he believes that such success stems from the collaboration of many team members, including special education inclusion co-teachers, Professional Learning Community cohorts, administrative leadership, and students. In his classroom, students always sit with collaborative “Learning Teams,” flexible groupings of students who are required to read, write, discuss, build, debate, and process within the context of a team. Working this way gives students the opportunity to develop the “soft skills” needed for success in the world beyond high school. 

Andy works with both the highest academically achieving students in the school in the International Baccalaureate course, Theory of Knowledge, as well as with students in Geography and History of the World courses who are not used to experiencing academic success.  In both contexts, he creates a challenging and engaging learning environment in which all types of students succeed and cultivate a passion for learning.