Rick Nosik
High School Math Teacher
BS, Applied Mathematics, Pacific Union College
Sharing His Passion
Mr. Nosik began his career in 1991 in Bakersfield, California, and then spent more than two decades teaching in traditional classroom environments. In 2014, he joined the faculty at Inspire Connections Academy. The biggest difference between brick-and-mortar and online teaching? According to Mr. Nosik, it’s the amount of attention he can give to each of his students.
In fact, he considers “tutoring students” to be “the most rewarding part of [his] job.” He relishes the opportunity to share his passion. “I love mathematics,” Mr. Nosik says. “But I love working with students even more.”
Compared to just “sitting in an office doing math,” as he was for many years at traditional schools, Mr. Nosik finds his current position fundamentally more fulfilling: “I get to share my love of mathematics with individual students.”
“Inspire Connections Academy’s greatest strength is in creating independent learners for life.”
— Mr. Nosik
Independent Learners
Beyond mathematics, beyond the advantages for him as a teacher, Mr. Nosik sees that the virtual education model provides important benefits to the students. “Inspire Connections Academy’s greatest strength,” he believes, “is in creating independent learners for life.”
In a way, the traditional classroom setting asks less of students: lessons are taught, assignments are given, and students are responsible for doing what is asked of them. The learning experience at Inspire Connections Academy asks students to be much more proactive – just like life. “Today’s adults change fields entirely several times in their career,” Mr. Nosik explains. “They need to have the confidence to go out and grab the training that is available out there.”
In the years ahead, this is how today’s high schoolers are going to “make themselves competitive in the workplace.” At Inspire Connections Academy, Mr. Nosik says, “our students learn these skills.”