2022 -2023 Tumwater High School

Greetings from Mr. Eric Sarai

• Visual Communications (CTE)
• World History (Social Studies)
• Social Equity Club Co-Advisor

How to pronounce my last name: SARAI (sar•y) 
Think of the word Necessary (Nec•es•sar•y) – now, subtract (Nec•es) and leave (sar•y)

I'm originally from a small town near Cleveland, Ohio, and I am VERY accustomed to shoveling snow. I have lived in Washington State since 2009. I started working at a printing press in Canton, Ohio, when I was 15, which fostered a deep appreciation for introducing young people to skilled trades through apprenticeship and mentorship.  I received my undergraduate degree from Kent State University in Visual Communications. After many years of working in the graphic design industry, I have selected the field of education to support students through CTE: Career in Technical Education. I earned my Master's in Teaching (MiT) degree from The Evergreen State College. My strengths include a deep understanding of social equity and social movements alongside visual/commercial arts, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, and the creative process, elements of art/design/studio habits of mind.

At Saint Martin's University, I taught as Adjunct Faculty in the Communication Studies Department's Native Voices Program. Students focused on the prolific and exciting overlap between socially engaged art and cultural practices generated by social movements within the United States. Classroom discussions focused on the graphical art mediums developed alongside social movements such as murals, logos, banners, signage, posters, shirts, and graffiti.  Among actions examined in Art and Social Action, students examined examples of Indigenous peoples’ struggles for land rights. I bring ideas of cultural awareness, critical thinking, and civic responsibility to my Social Studies classroom at Tumwater High, where I teach World History with 10th-grade students. I am endorsed to teach K-12 Visual Art, Career in Technical Education (CTE), Social Studies, and English Language Arts (ELA). I greatly value my ability to provide a space for students to explore complex global concepts through arts integration and creative inquiry.  

I consider myself a reflective practitioner and culturally responsive educator committed to connecting with my students and their families/caregivers. These strengths allow me to create content that caters to my student's interests and ability levels while considering their vastly different learning styles. The motto in my classroom is; process over product. This instructional practice supports the awareness of my student's differing levels of skill acquisition and centering instructional practices that allow my students to investigate the world around them. World History and Visual Communications teaches students critical thinking and problem-solving skills as ways to create works of design and become lifelong learners and informed citizens in this competitive global economy.

Period 1:   Visual Communications
Period 2:   Visual Communications
Period 3:   Visual Communications
Period 4a: Lunch
Period 4b: World History
Period 5:   Prep
Period 6:   Off-Site