Mr. Tarr

I think this would be a great chance to introduce myself.

My name is David Tarr.  I have been teaching in Lebanon for the last 14 years.  Every year I have taught with Mrs. Sanford and every year I have taught fourth grade.  I really love my job.  I get excited each year to go back to the classroom.  On Wednesday night I will not be able to sleep.  Ideas and worries about the upcoming year will keep me tossing and turning.

Before I started teaching, I grew up just up the road in Centerville.  My mother was a teacher in Centerville and my father worked at Wright Pat until he retired.  He then went back to school at THE University of Dayton and became an accountant.

After high school, I followed my older brother (who now works for the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office) to THE University of Dayton.  I got my undergraduate degree and started looking for a job.  I had been working at Countryside YMCA in the sports camp and adventure camp, so I decided to interview in Lebanon.  I got the job and the rest as they say is history.

My wife is a teacher at Donovan.  She is also a Dayton Flyer.  We never met in college.  One of us is older (I won't say which one) so our paths did not cross until we met at Donovan.  We have two children Emerson our daughter and our son Beckett.  Emerson is going to start kindergarten this year at Louisa Wright.  I cannot believe that tomorrow I will have to go to her first conference and sit on the other side of that table.

I just recently finished getting my master's degree at Miami University.  The program I went through at Miami was The Ohio Writing Project.  The program was amazing and did nothing but make me a better teacher.  This summer I got to teach a class at Miami on how to teach argument writing with the Ohio Writing Project.  It was a blast to get to share and learn from the teachers that were working with us.

I love to read.  I would not have said this as a fourth grader but now I devour texts.  I am an avid fan of all Cincinnati sports.  One of my favorite days of the whole school year is when we celebrate Opening Day.  I cook.  My mother told us she was not going to raise men who could not cook.  Now I find great pleasure in making a meal.  I love to play sports basketball, tennis, soccer, softball, or anything with a ball.  You name it I like to play it.  I have to listen to music.  If you come to the room before the day starts, chances are you will hear something blasting out of my speakers.

I hoped this helped you get to know me just a bit more before this year gets started.  I cannot wait to get to know all of you as this year gets underway.