Meet Mr. Vahle
Mr. Vahle has been teaching in Carmel Clay Schools since his first year of teaching in 1993 and has taught in both the primary and intermediate settings, teaching second, fourth, and fifth grades as well as multi-age classrooms of fourth and fifth graders.
Jay has focused on differentiated instruction throughout his teaching practices and has served the district as Technology Coordinator at both Carmel Elementary and Woodbrook Elementary Schools. He has conducted professional development workshops on Microsoft applications, the infusing of technology into the curriculum, standards-based learning, and independent study projects, and has been a featured speaker at Indiana's state conference on gifted education. His area of expertise is in curriculum writing, as he has helped to develop the current curricular model for Carmel Clay Schools' Gifted and Talented program. He has served as a highly regarded consultant on gifted and talented education to school districts in the state and serves as coach and sponsor of Woodbrook's academic teams having won multiple state championships. Mr. Vahle was named the 2009 Teacher of the Year for Carmel Clay Schools and was runner-up for Indiana's Teacher of the Year in 2010. He has been recognized by Indiana's Governor, the US Secretary of Education, and the President of the United States as a 2012 recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, our nation's highest honor that can be bestowed upon a teacher. He was officially welcomed to the White House by President Barack Obama in 2014 in recognition of this award and his role in helping to advance STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). A musician by trade, Jay has worked in the studio as a vocal artist for publishers throughout North America. He loves sports and is a fan favorite on the basketball court. His tennis game is good but rusty, and his golf game is rusty just not any good. He is a dedicated and loving father to his four incredible children and a devoted and supportive husband to an inspiring educator, his beautiful wife, Janet. His favorite thing to do in life is spend time with his family, and he lives for a really good chocolate chip cookie! |