As the new physics teacher at Delaware Military Academy last year, I was asked if there was an elective I would like to create to fill out my schedule. I proposed teaching a course based off of Yale University’s extremely successful course called Psychology and the Good Life taught by Dr. Laurie Santos. Last year I taught one section of this course we decided to call Optimistic Mindset. One year later, enrollment has skyrocketed allowing me to teach 2 sections of the Optimistic Mindset and 2 additional sections of a half credit version called Science of Happiness.

Student mental health has been challenged by many obstacles these last handful of years. I’m honored to have the opportunity to teach a class that offers students strategies to help them live happy and healthy lives. I’m excited that students are finding these strategies helpful. I’m hopeful that allowing my students to share the strategies that have helped them on this blog will allow more teenagers to learn and apply these helpful tools.