Mr. MacKenzie graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 2007, he earned a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. He has been teaching for 12 years, focusing his efforts teaching Patagonia youth history and the importance of community involvement. He was selected as the Veterans of Foreign Wars Arizona High School Citizenship Education Teacher of the Year for 2008.
”I strive to show PUHS kids that if they are willing to work hard, they can overcome the apparent barriers of ethnicity, native language, low income and/or rural residence, and rise to rank among the best students in the country. If you learn the language and the culture of your students, you will be able to communicate with them effectively.”
”My philosophy of teaching is this: Find out what your students know and can do, and then build up from there. Give students multiple opportunities to learn in many different modalities, create varied opportunities for them to apply, practice, and master their new knowledge and skills. Break down big tasks into small steps. Incorporate review and refinement of prior material as students explore novel concepts and develop new skills.”
“Do your best to model the virtues you hope to cultivate in your students. Work hard. Be kind to others. Tell the truth. When you make a mistake that hurts someone else: apologize, make restitution, and move on. When you fail: pick yourself up and get back to work. Most important: never give up on a kid, no matter how far behind he is, no matter how many times he has disappointed you, himself, and others. There is always a way to teach something to someone; as a teacher, it is your job to be patient and creative enough to find that way.”
“In order to differentiate instruction, this multi-talented instructor has been able to offer courses within courses. Each history class has a regular curriculum and an enriched AP curriculum thus allowing all students to stretch and grow according to their capacity. His foreign language classes include both introductory and intermediate level students. Beginning students benefit from exposure to intermediate materials and often earn two years of credit in one school year. As part of his foreign language instruction, Brian has taken students to Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, and Mexico. Research on college placement test scores indicate that Brian’s foreign language students have scored well and been placed in advanced language classes. Mr. MacKenzie is the modern day Renaissance Man; an exceptional communicator, mentor, educator, traveler, and a true gentleman.” Dr. Rose Booth, Superintendent, Patagonia School District
