My name is R.J. Proctor.
I am a licensed K-12, Tennessee Teacher. I have 3 years of experience teaching urban, low to severe poverty, ESL students with diverse personal and learning needs in Shelby County (Memphis, TN) in addition to my 15+ years of non-traditional pre-K - 12 (as an environmental science educator) and 7.5 years in the corporate education arena (as MIS and technology educator).
In the traditional K-12 classroom, I have taught High School Honors STEM, Standard Physics, SPED Physics, ACT Prep, and Computer Science. I have also taught Middle School Physical Science, Life Science, 8th Grade Combined Science and 7th Grade Combined Science. I have also served as Coach (girls High School softball) and Assistant Coach (girls High School volleyball).
I volunteer with Memphis Botanical Gardens and Shelby Farms Park as an Environmental Educator and Docent (Certified Tennessee Naturalist).
Educational Credentials:
Keiser University, Fort Lauderdale, FL - Philosophiae Doctor Candidate in Instructional Design and Technology, Expected Graduation, 2024
Lambda School - Data Science Endorsement Candidate, Expected Endorsement, 2021
Concordia University, Portland, OR - Dual Master of Curriculum and Instruction in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Environmental Science Education, October 2017
L’Ecole Culinaire, Memphis, TN - Associate of Occupational Studies, Culinary Arts, 2011
L’Ecole Culinaire, Memphis, TN - Diploma, Culinary Essentials, 2010
The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN - Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance with a concentration in Real Estate, 2008
White Station High School, Memphis, TN - Diploma, Honors Program, Basketball and Softball Teams, 1992
My story
My greatest inspiration is my Autistic son who was kicked out of three elementary schools, homeschooled 2nd through 5th grades, and bullied by students and teachers alike at a public school 6th through 7th grades before he settled at a charter school where they teach the whole student in 8th and 9th grades. Because of COVID, he is homeschooling again, he is thriving academically, but suffering terribly, socially and emotionally as he prepares to enter 10th grade.
I am passionate about serving at-risk youth and families because of the failures of public education we have experienced as a family. Providing all students and families with choice and voice to meet our children’s social-emotional learning and academic needs should not be a struggle. As a data scientist focusing on educational research, I feel I can be an instrument of more significant change for greater numbers of children than in the classroom.