Hi, and thank you for visiting my page. I'm John Stauffer and am looking forward to starting my third-year teaching middle school at St. Rita. Prior to teaching here, I taught for three years at Pope St. John Paul II in Aurora, and several years at Jefferson and Madison Junior Highs in Naperville, but St. Rita is my happy place. The teachers and administration are just wonderful. Have you met them? As you can see, I've taught for the last eight years, but a quick glance at my photo might suggest that I'm not 30, nor have I been for some time. Prior to teaching, I worked in downtown Chicago in information systems and operations. As I neared 50, it was time for my mid-life crisis, and since my wife Noreen had already said 'no' to a fancy sports car, I had no other choice by to go back to grad school to pursue a life-long dream of teaching history—my first love. I earned my M.A. the teaching of history at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and fully intended to teach A.P. European History to highly driven high school seniors. Funny thing though, I briefly worked as a middle school substitute, and quickly discovered that junior high was my natural calling. I absolutely love this age group. They're enthusiastic, inquisitive, and love learning. They're also squirrely, but I've always been partial to squirrels. Please stop by to visit us in room 301, where we learn social studies, English, and literature. My wife and I live in Naperville near (but not in) Safety Town with our dog Liam, and his cat-brother Archie.