Walking the Talk

Nate Freeman, 20, hanging out in Athens, Ohio.

Nate Freeman, an Integrated Science Education major at Ohio University, takes the lessons he learns in his education courses beyond the classroom.

As a future educator, Freeman, 20, has learned the importance of teaching methods that allow students to actively participate in class (as opposed to traditional passive lectures). Leading by example, Freeman gets involved in his education and the surrounding community. As a result of his involvement, Freeman has had the opportunity to network with colleagues, work with children, and pick up interesting ideas for future lesson plans.

Childhood Influences

Growing up, Freeman developed an interest in people, science, adventure, and community involvement that helped him choose his future career.

“As a kid, I wanted to be a lot of things when I grew up,” Freeman explains. “These possible careers included becoming a police officer, a librarian, a roller coaster designer, a video game designer, and finally, a teacher.”

Born on June 13, 1990 in Cleveland, Ohio, Freeman lived in Shaker Heights until age 4, and moved to Solon, Ohio, where he currently resides, when he was 5-years-old. As an only child, Freeman received a significant amount of attention from his parents. Freeman especially recalls the time he spent with his mother during his childhood and the impact it had on him.

“My mom and I both really liked puzzles,” Freeman recalls, “and if after school, my mom could sense that I had something on my mind but wasn’t interested in thoroughly discussing it, she’d pull out a puzzle for the two of us to work on. I valued this time with her, and appreciated the way she used it to connect with me.”

When Freeman becomes a teacher, he says that he would like to use a similar technique of one-on-one interaction to not only get to know his students, but to help them learn and actively engage them during class time.

In addition to his mom’s influence, Freeman was inspired by many of his teachers to become a teacher himself.

“My high school biology, chemistry, and physics teachers had a big impact on me,” Freeman explains. “Although they occasionally taught typical lessons of lecturing and note-taking, most of the time, they used a lot of different techniques and teaching styles to switch things up. Our lesson plans and class activities were constantly changing. I also liked the way they rewarded the good behavior of their students, instead of always focusing on the troublemakers in class. This attention gave us the incentive to behave well.”

Most of all, Freeman liked these teachers because he genuinely had fun in their classes. Freeman was inspired to become a high school science teacher, and to use some of the same proven techniques as his role models.

“Science has always been my favorite subject in school, so it was an easy choice to make it my concentration area,” Freeman says. “Although I was inspired by a lot of good teachers and positive educational experiences, I was motivated by the negative ones too. When possible, I want to grade my students using assessment methods other than standardized tests, which are stressful and high-risk.”

Freeman (top middle) with the Solon High School 2008 Bowling Team.

Extracurricular Activities

From a young age, Freeman has been involved in extracurricular activities, including soccer, Boy Scouts, orchestra (playing the cello from 4^th grade through 12^th), and track. In high school, Freeman was a member of the bowling team, cross-country team, and AV club. Of all his activities, Freeman says that participating in Boy Scouts has probably had the biggest impact on his life.

“When I was 13-years-old, my Boy Scout troop and I took a 14-day trip to Alaska,” Freeman reminisces. “Supervised by a few parent chaperons and troop leaders, we went backpacking, sea kayaking, and ice climbing. This was my first major trip away from my parents, but since I had such a good time, it gave me the positive foundation to build off of. From that point on, I wanted to keep getting involved, and keep having more adventures.”

During Freeman’s senior year in high school, he became an Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program, and a high honor held by only a limited amount of people.

“[Becoming an Eagle Scout] was the proudest moment of my life,” Freeman says. “Through Boy Scouts, I learned leadership skills, management skills, and random life skills that have been useful to me throughout my life.”

College Experiences

While attending OU, Freeman has maintained his active involvement in school organizations and the local  community. Since his freshman year, Nate has been a member of the Ohio University National Science Teachers Association (OUNSTA). His leadership roles include secretary (2009-2010) and vice president (2010-2011). Through OUNSTA, Freeman networks with current and future science educators.

During an APhiO service event, Freeman (right) spends time with 8-year-old Abby at a local playground.

Of all the activities Freeman has participated in during college, he is most passionate about APhiO, the service fraternity that he joined last year. From mandatory weekly chapter meetings, to service and fundraising hours, APhiO keeps Freeman very busy. This year, Freeman is the current Youth Service Chair. APhiO has allowed Freeman the opportunity to be involved in intermural sports (like soccer and volleyball) with his fraternity brothers, put together programs for local Athens students, like a Halloween haunted house at their school, and participate in fundraisers and local events, like Relay for Life and Kidfest. This past winter break, Freeman traveled to Kissimmee, Fla. to volunteer at the Give Kids the World village, which houses terminally ill children. When asked why Freeman loves being a part of APhiO, he explains that he enjoys “having 300 of [his] closest friends around [in other words, his fraternity brothers] whom [he] can always count on." In addition to the friendships it has helped him forge, his fraternity involvement is a rewarding experience that gives him the chance to help others.

“It’s all about seeing that smile on the kids’ faces during a time that they normally wouldn’t be having fun,” Freeman answers, referencing the many kids he works with through APhiO service programs.

Future Dreams

Freeman prepares to teach a lesson in McCracken Hall.

Out of all the things Freeman does in his life, he finds teaching the most rewarding. While he would like to teach high school science for a while, he says in 20 years, he’d love to be a college professor teaching a geology class at a university, preferably located in North Carolina.

“If there’s one thing my experience has taught me, it’s that all students can learn,” Freeman says. “In fact, that’s my teaching philosophy: ‘All students can learn.’ It’s just a matter of whether or not the students put their time into it and whether or not the parents care.”

The care Freeman has for students, their education and well-being, and the teaching profession is evident in the time he puts into volunteering and getting involved outside of the classroom.

By: Amanda Pomerantz

 

A Few Fun Facts About Nate Freeman
Favorite band?	Daft Punk
Official DJ name?	DJ Freenate (I’ve been the DJ at a lot of APhiO events, including the DJ on the APhiO Homecoming 2010 float)
Guilty pleasure?	Late-night Food Network
Favorite cereal?	Wheaties Fuel
Pet peeve?	People who don’t drive the speed limit
Three adjectives your friends would use to describe you?	Honest, reliable, and empathetic
If you were a crayon, what color would you be?	Granny Smith Apple
Favorite spot on OU's campus?	The Convocation Center
Biggest fear?	Losing a loved one (like my mom or dad)
TV show you think they should bring back?	“Rugrats”
Something people might not know about you?	I like to shop
Three items on your “Bucket List”?	Travel to Iceland, attend the New Year’s Eve party in Times Square, and attend a Super Bowl that the Pittsburgh Steelers are playing in