Thomas Salvin
Tom Salvin is a native of Branford and has been teaching for thirty-five years. He is a 1969 graduate of Branford High School.
Tom earned his Bachelor of Science degree at Southern Connecticut State University and later studied computer programming at SCSU, earning a Master’s degree in Education Foundations, Evaluation and Measurement. He pursued a PhD at the University of Connecticut in Education and Measurement. He was the primary analyst on the UCONN analytical team project, "The Classroom Practices Study".
His career began at Almadale Christian School in Florida, teaching grades 1-10. Upon returning to Branford, Tom was hired to teach in grades 1-4 and 6-8. His teaching approach was not to have rows of desks with an authority figure in the front. Rather, his students would arrange themselves according to the challenging, interesting projects he taught. Students learned the enjoyment of education and were motivated to excel. He taught students how to be upstanding citizens through his Super Star program. A "Super Star" would be able to invite friends from other classes to special "Salvin activities" and they could be the "organizer" for the day.
Tom's original morning math problems set the tone for challenging minds. His outstanding projects include archaeological digs, student-run book fairs, winter solstice beach days and zoos. There was also the Salvin version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" where students made puppets, and stage, entertaining younger grades with this original performance. One could find students taking apart and reconstructing computers in areas of his classroom under his guidance. Finding forty fish tanks stacked high with all kinds of fish made the importance of learning to monitor water temperature and food important enough for children to oversee this maintenance, even on weekends and vacations. His classrooms parents would be found at supper tables helping with prefixes, suffixes and other challenges. They would also return at night to Hammer Field to view constellations, planets and stars using binoculars and telescopes. His students reveled in wearing their "Salvin Adventure" t-shirts! For years, students would return to share how their school year with him had proved to be outstanding.
Tom continues to be a member of the National Research Center on Gifted and Talented, the New England Educational Research Organization and the American Educational Research Association.
Tom has proven to be a sound resource for his teaching peers and administrators. He continues to be a fine example to his students as he writes and is published in The Sound, The New Haven Register and Making Education Mean Excellence (MEME). Branford is fortunate to have such a teacher of passion in their 2012 Hall of Fame.
Tom earned his Bachelor of Science degree at Southern Connecticut State University and later studied computer programming at SCSU, earning a Master’s degree in Education Foundations, Evaluation and Measurement. He pursued a PhD at the University of Connecticut in Education and Measurement. He was the primary analyst on the UCONN analytical team project, "The Classroom Practices Study".
His career began at Almadale Christian School in Florida, teaching grades 1-10. Upon returning to Branford, Tom was hired to teach in grades 1-4 and 6-8. His teaching approach was not to have rows of desks with an authority figure in the front. Rather, his students would arrange themselves according to the challenging, interesting projects he taught. Students learned the enjoyment of education and were motivated to excel. He taught students how to be upstanding citizens through his Super Star program. A "Super Star" would be able to invite friends from other classes to special "Salvin activities" and they could be the "organizer" for the day.
Tom's original morning math problems set the tone for challenging minds. His outstanding projects include archaeological digs, student-run book fairs, winter solstice beach days and zoos. There was also the Salvin version of "Jack and the Beanstalk" where students made puppets, and stage, entertaining younger grades with this original performance. One could find students taking apart and reconstructing computers in areas of his classroom under his guidance. Finding forty fish tanks stacked high with all kinds of fish made the importance of learning to monitor water temperature and food important enough for children to oversee this maintenance, even on weekends and vacations. His classrooms parents would be found at supper tables helping with prefixes, suffixes and other challenges. They would also return at night to Hammer Field to view constellations, planets and stars using binoculars and telescopes. His students reveled in wearing their "Salvin Adventure" t-shirts! For years, students would return to share how their school year with him had proved to be outstanding.
Tom continues to be a member of the National Research Center on Gifted and Talented, the New England Educational Research Organization and the American Educational Research Association.
Tom has proven to be a sound resource for his teaching peers and administrators. He continues to be a fine example to his students as he writes and is published in The Sound, The New Haven Register and Making Education Mean Excellence (MEME). Branford is fortunate to have such a teacher of passion in their 2012 Hall of Fame.