2023 -2024 Tumwater High School

Greetings from Mr. Eric Sarai
23-24 THS Classes 

• Visual Communications (CTE)
• Computer Science (CTE)

23-24 THS Clubs

• Technology Student Association Advisor
• 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, graphic design, photography, printmaking, digital illustration, and the creative process, elements of art/design/studio habits of mind.

I taught at Saint Martin's University as an Adjunct Faculty in the Communication Studies Department's Native Voices Program, providing the course Photographic Media. Classroom discussions focused on the photography mediums that developed alongside social movements. Compositional analysis and technical skill-building using the DSLR Camera are among actions examined in Photographic Media. Students also studied examples of Indigenous peoples’ struggles for land rights through immersive photographic accounts. I bring ideas of cultural awareness, critical thinking, and civic responsibility to my classes at Tumwater High, where I teach Visual Communications and Computer Science. Additionally, I am endorsed to teach K-12 Visual Art, Computer Science, Social Studies, and English Language Arts (ELA). I greatly value my ability to provide a space for students to explore complex global concepts through technology, arts integration, and creative inquiry.  

I am 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. Computer Science 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, Adv. VisCom
Period 2:   Visual Communications, Adv. VisCom
Period 3:   Lesson Prep / Student Support
Period 4a: Lunch
Period 4b: Computer Science Essentials
Period 5:   Computer Science Essentials
Period 6:   Visual Communications, Adv. VisCom