Paul Maloy

Paul Maloy has followed an unusual career path. Before becoming a middle school history teacher, he served in the Air Force and then worked in business and marketing management. He says, however, that he always loved reading and learning about history. Paul has been teaching for 14 years now, and he loves having the chance to make an impact on students. “The greatest achievement of my professional careers,” Paul says, “Happens every time a student’s eyes light up, and they say, ‘I get it! I understand why that’s important!’”

Paul believes that studying history provides an excellent opportunity for students to begin to develop critical thinking skills. Rather than having students memorize dates and places, he tries to humanize the past in order to help students apply history’s lessons to the modern day. Paul specializes in teaching American History and believes that every era is “fascinating and compelling” and “can be taught in a way that is engaging and memorable.” Paul is also very proud of the award-winning speech and debate program that he created at his school.

One way that Paul brings the past alive for his students is by dressing up as historical figures, whether it be an American colonist or a hippie from the 1960s. Ultimately, he wants to bring the past alive to help students develop critical thinking skills. “Thousands of students have now come through my classroom. If I have made a difference in just a few, all the effort is worth it,” Paul states.