Welcome!

I am excited to be a part of the learning community at Discovery Elementary.  I have been in Education for 35 years.  Every year, my love for learning increases.  I am finding the adage is true for me: The more I know, the more I realize I don't know!  I have chosen to teach children at the elementary level because it is there that I feel I can have the greatest influence on children's lives.  It is such a critical time in a child's life to build a solid foundation of knowledge, skills, tools, and a love of learning.  My goal is to meet students where they are and help them grow as far as they can while they are in my care.  I believe that all students can learn at high levels.

Regardless of the learning platform, whether at home or at school, learners learn.  I believe learning is an attitude and a learned trait.

A little about me:  I grew up in Colorado at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.  My wife and our three children moved to Idaho in 2001 where they finished school.  Now I am a grandpa with four grandchildren.  I love to run, fly-fish, and spend time in the mountains.  I love to grow a garden and make things out of wood.  I am developing and carrying on a trait from my dad - ingenuity.  I learned that you don't just throw things away or replace them, or if you don't have what you need for a job - you figure out how to fix them or make something that willl work.  And now, with the Internet, just about anything is instantly at your fingertips.

With respect,

Tom Runyan

3rd Grade, Discovery Elementary