Here are some of the many testimonials and references regarding Dan's expertise and experience.
Comments from Peers
"I had the great fortune to work with Dan Charland as a fellow teacher, benefiting from his experience and advice throughout my first year of classroom teaching. In addition to working with a struggling student of mine and bringing him up to speed on organization and note-taking, Dan offered me invaluable help for my own lesson-planning and organization systems. When I had the opportunity to co-teach summer school with him, I was able to see directly his effective classroom management skills and to understand more fully why he was so respected by his own students and also by other faculty. Dan was always able to engage students and bring out the best in them.
One of the highlights of my time teaching at Challenger was the excellent writing curriculum, developed by Dan Charland. Dan provided superior staff training for this curriculum, modeling how to engage students in a Socratic dialogue that would allow them to grasp the underlying concepts of an essay. That training in how to teach writing remains one of the enduring lessons of my professional life as a teacher." (Megan Maxwell-Smith, Owner / Writing Coach at Whole Education, Grover Beach, CA)
"As Dan’s principal at Challenger School, I found him to be an excellent teacher and member of our middle school staff. Although he came with experience in both teaching and curriculum development, he was open to continuing professional development.
During my sixteen years as a private school principal, I’ve met a very small number of teachers who truly understand how to properly teach in a conceptual manner. Dan is one of them. In doing so, his students can quickly apply and expand on their new knowledge. Such knowledge then becomes relevant and useful.
Dan teaches with a sharp sense of humor that makes class time seem to fly by. I would often stop by to observe his class for a few minutes, only later to realize I had been sucked in and stayed for the whole period.
One of the first words that come to mind when I think of Dan is – Honest. One can always trust that what he says is the truth. This combined with the fact that he truly cares about each of his students, develops students who are not only successful in their academics, but also well prepared to be successful in reality." (Dave Delgado, Headmaster at Cambrian Academy, San Jose, CA).
"I had the privilege of working with Dan during his tenure at Veritas Academy. He was very organized and enthusiastic in presenting material to the students, and had a firm grasp of the subjects he taught. The students also enjoyed his class, and respected his teaching. He had valuable insight into curriculum development, and how to improve the organization as a whole." (Luke Snow, Antenna Design Engineer at Space Systems Loral, Palo Alto, CA).
"Dan has excellent organizational skills and technical writing skills. Dan was instrumental in the deployment of our knowledge base that we use daily for sharing best practices and break-fix information. Dan assisted with new cases to ensure that they were well-organized, edited correctly, and input into the system in the correct manner. Without Dan's leadership and dedication, this program would not have been the success it is today." (Joshua Smith, Remote Support Engineer - Advance Support Team at GE Healthcare, Greater Salt Lake City, UT region).
Comments from Past Students
I really want to thank you for encouraging me and helping me change my study skills to raise my grades. Your classes were very fun and they were actually the most interesting of all my classes. Diane
You have taught us to put 150% in everything we do, the true meaning of character, and much more. Thank you! Rena
Thank you for being an excellent teacher. I used to think history was unnecessary. Your teaching has made me understand the importance of learning history. History is now one of my favorite subjects. I come to your class knowing that each day will be full of surprises and fun jokes. Amala
You've helped some of us to get better grades. Your notes are the best, and you mix in jokes with it. Simon
Thank you for your guidance over the last few years. You have taught me lessons that I will cherish and make a part of my life. You have encouraged me to explore new ideas and to live with a high set of morals. Anthony
You were such a cool teacher… a perfect role model; well-tempered, humorous, diligent, honest, and full of trust. Shilpa
Tough, organized, and a good leader. Best teacher ever. Ryan
Thank you for everything… I loved the way you lectured in history and how you wove the three, God-given rights into every chapter… May God bless you! Diane
I truly believe you are one of the best teachers I have ever met in my past 7 years at [this school]. Not only are you talented and humorous, you have also matured me academically and mentally as well. I have learned about character and taking pride in whatever I do. I feel honored to be in your class. Your teaching has really introduced a new perspective in life for me. Thank you. Christine
"I had the great fortune to work with Dan Charland as a fellow teacher, benefiting from his experience and advice throughout my first year of classroom teaching. In addition to working with a struggling student of mine and bringing him up to speed on organization and note-taking, Dan offered me invaluable help for my own lesson-planning and organization systems. When I had the opportunity to co-teach summer school with him, I was able to see directly his effective classroom management skills and to understand more fully why he was so respected by his own students and also by other faculty. Dan was always able to engage students and bring out the best in them.
One of the highlights of my time teaching at Challenger was the excellent writing curriculum, developed by Dan Charland. Dan provided superior staff training for this curriculum, modeling how to engage students in a Socratic dialogue that would allow them to grasp the underlying concepts of an essay. That training in how to teach writing remains one of the enduring lessons of my professional life as a teacher." (Megan Maxwell-Smith, Owner / Writing Coach at Whole Education, Grover Beach, CA)
"As Dan’s principal at Challenger School, I found him to be an excellent teacher and member of our middle school staff. Although he came with experience in both teaching and curriculum development, he was open to continuing professional development.
During my sixteen years as a private school principal, I’ve met a very small number of teachers who truly understand how to properly teach in a conceptual manner. Dan is one of them. In doing so, his students can quickly apply and expand on their new knowledge. Such knowledge then becomes relevant and useful.
Dan teaches with a sharp sense of humor that makes class time seem to fly by. I would often stop by to observe his class for a few minutes, only later to realize I had been sucked in and stayed for the whole period.
One of the first words that come to mind when I think of Dan is – Honest. One can always trust that what he says is the truth. This combined with the fact that he truly cares about each of his students, develops students who are not only successful in their academics, but also well prepared to be successful in reality." (Dave Delgado, Headmaster at Cambrian Academy, San Jose, CA).
"I had the privilege of working with Dan during his tenure at Veritas Academy. He was very organized and enthusiastic in presenting material to the students, and had a firm grasp of the subjects he taught. The students also enjoyed his class, and respected his teaching. He had valuable insight into curriculum development, and how to improve the organization as a whole." (Luke Snow, Antenna Design Engineer at Space Systems Loral, Palo Alto, CA).
"Dan has excellent organizational skills and technical writing skills. Dan was instrumental in the deployment of our knowledge base that we use daily for sharing best practices and break-fix information. Dan assisted with new cases to ensure that they were well-organized, edited correctly, and input into the system in the correct manner. Without Dan's leadership and dedication, this program would not have been the success it is today." (Joshua Smith, Remote Support Engineer - Advance Support Team at GE Healthcare, Greater Salt Lake City, UT region).
Comments from Past Students
I really want to thank you for encouraging me and helping me change my study skills to raise my grades. Your classes were very fun and they were actually the most interesting of all my classes. Diane
You have taught us to put 150% in everything we do, the true meaning of character, and much more. Thank you! Rena
Thank you for being an excellent teacher. I used to think history was unnecessary. Your teaching has made me understand the importance of learning history. History is now one of my favorite subjects. I come to your class knowing that each day will be full of surprises and fun jokes. Amala
You've helped some of us to get better grades. Your notes are the best, and you mix in jokes with it. Simon
Thank you for your guidance over the last few years. You have taught me lessons that I will cherish and make a part of my life. You have encouraged me to explore new ideas and to live with a high set of morals. Anthony
You were such a cool teacher… a perfect role model; well-tempered, humorous, diligent, honest, and full of trust. Shilpa
Tough, organized, and a good leader. Best teacher ever. Ryan
Thank you for everything… I loved the way you lectured in history and how you wove the three, God-given rights into every chapter… May God bless you! Diane
I truly believe you are one of the best teachers I have ever met in my past 7 years at [this school]. Not only are you talented and humorous, you have also matured me academically and mentally as well. I have learned about character and taking pride in whatever I do. I feel honored to be in your class. Your teaching has really introduced a new perspective in life for me. Thank you. Christine