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Teacher

"Like a candle, a good teacher consumes theirself to light the way for others." - Author Unknown

Biography

Mr. Sourvelis has been teaching science since 2011. His first teaching position was at Minor High School in Adamsville, Alabama. While at Minor High Nicholas helped thirty-two of his students, who had previously been unsuccessful, pass the science portion of the Alabama High School Graduation Examination. Mr. Sourvelis taught in the Walker County School System from 2012 to 2019. During that time he taught chemistry, AP chemistry, pre-AP chemistry, physics, AP physics, physical science, and zoology.

As of August 2019, Mr. Sourvelis is employed in the Jasper City School System where he will be teaching chemistry, AP chemistry, and physical science at Jasper High School. “It has always been my goal to come home and teach at my alma mater. GO VIKES!” - Nick Sourvelis

Mr. Sourvelis holds an Alabama Class AA teaching certificate in general science received his Education Specialist Degree (secondary) from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, a Masters of Art in Education (secondary science) from The University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a Bachelors of Science degree from Samford University. In addition, Mr. Sourvelis continues his education through varied professional development opportunities like APEX (more info) , a 3-year physics education program, or taking graduate-level chemistry courses.

Recognition

  • Oakman High School: Teacher of the Year (2012-2013)
  • University of Alabama: Excellence in Teaching Award (2019) Award | News Article
  • Daily Mountain Eagle: Cordova High science teacher details his hard path to success. Article

Mr. Sourvelis's Science Education Philosophy

First and foremost is the fact that I love my students and believe in them. The belief that each student has the potential for success is the foundation of my philosophy. The decision to become an educator is rooted in my hope to inspire. Not every student wants to be a scientist. However, it makes it all worth it when the confidence gained from overcoming the challenges of learning science, inspires a student to pursue and accomplish a personal goal. As teachers, we must recognize that learning something completely new, challenging, and abstract can be frustrating. Encouraging students to see past the frustration and recognize it is part of the learning process is vital to their success. Once students learn to let go of the frustration and embrace the struggle, deep learning can take place. The moment a student finally declares "I GET IT," is what I live for. The use of technology has played an integral role in our classroom. The Science Portal App was created to give my students access to our classroom 24 hours a day. If we plan to reach today’s youth, it is pivotal that we keep up with the world they live in today. The feedback from students has been very positive.

Testimonials

-Hello Mr. Sourvelis.
I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you as a teacher and how much I truly enjoyed learning under you. You are an amazing person and seem to be an amazing father and some of the things you talked to us about I will carry with me into adulthood and into the becoming of a TRUE man, husband, and father. Hearing how you handle the few family issues you have discussed with us and seeing how you "Embraced the SUCK" through tough times really showed me the type of man you are and the type of man that I will soon aspire to be. Thank you for your time and wisdom. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your school year and I wish nothing but the best for you and your family.
CW


-I want to tell you what JM said today. We are approaching finals for his first semester at UA. He is taking chem 101, and doing well. It’s hard, obviously, but he told [his brother] taking AP Chem with you prepared him for this. He said he remembers what he had with you, and it has served him well. They both love your class, and Bryson had already said, it’s hard but “he actually teaches us”. So, thank you. I can’t think of a better compliment. I can’t thank you enough.
KC


-Mr. S.,
I wanted to check in with you after a little while in school here at UAB. As you know, I am a pre-med Chemistry major and a ChemScholar here. As a ChemScholar, I work as a TA in a lab (106) for the chem class under my GenChem class (115). I have been in class for a month and have had my first round of exams, so I feel like I've seen and experienced most of "the college experience". That leads me to this:
You truly were an impeccable teacher to me in 10th and 11th grade.
In my leadership position, and even from a peer standpoint (I am sought after by classmates because of my major), I realized how well equipped I was for this next step in life. In just the case of chemistry, I find myself with greater background knowledge and skills than AP and IB students. I also remember the tips and tricks you taught (polyatomic ions for example) when explaining things to my students and peers.
Your class was the only one in high school that truly engaged and challenged me, and it was in your class that I really settled on my career choice and major I wanted to use to get there.
As far as material, I have yet to see any material that was not covered in your class. Orbitals, Lewis structures, resonance, hybridization, quantum number, and other things of that nature have been covered or are on tap for test 2 of 3. By the way, I made a 95 on the first test with minimal effort.
All of that said to reiterate, you really did an excellent job, and that hit me like a truck this week and I had to share a word of encouragement with you.
I hope family, life, and work are all treating you well, and I hope to stay in touch.
Thank you again,
Isaac R


-Mr. Sourvelis, I personally want to thank you for being the teacher you are and were for me! You made me learn and think more than I ever had with a subject I didn't think I would like. You didn't baby us or hand-feed us information; you made us think outside the box and go past the basic information to get us through. So thank you and hope all is going well! God Bless. - Andrew W


-Thank you Mr. Sourvelis for being such a great chemistry teacher. Everything you taught us is exactly what I'm doing in my Chem 131 class. So I just wanted to say thanks for helping me get through my freshman chem class.


-Just wanted to say a big thanks to you for laying a great foundation for my college chemistry, I'm pursuing a BioChem degree that will hopefully transfer down to Auburn's pharmacy school, and as I've looked through my General Chem classes syllabus, the majority of the content has already been covered by your class, these first few days have been a rather boring review for me, but I'm grateful that it is that way because I feel more prepared to dive into the rest of Chemistry that I haven't seen yet because of the strong foundation you helped me build! Sincerely, Andrew M


-I would like to recommend my Chemistry teacher, Mr. Nicholas Sourvelis, to be the winner of the best teacher in Walker County. I honestly believe that he has exceeded the call of a teacher this year. He was always willing to come to school early, leave late, and give up his off block to offer any additional help to his students. If he didn’t have the answer to a question, it wasn’t long before he did. He would take time out of his personal like to study and research new ways to help us better understand the lessons. I remember our class receiving an e-mail from him at 4 a.m. with a video relating to the topic we were studying. He was not just a teacher from 8 to 3, he turned it into a 24/7 job. He helped many of us by providing ACT prep and always being available to answer any questions we may have (even outside of school hours). He was always willing to write an outstanding letter of recommendation for us upon our request, even if it meant that he would have to take time out of his life and write it at home. He helped our Christian club, 4:12, by coming to school early on Wednesday mornings so that we could use his room to hold a student body bible study. He did not have to do any of these things, but he chose to anyway. He isn’t a teacher because he gets a big paycheck, but because he wants to invest into our lives. He didn’t make it easy for us but pushed us to reach our full potential in everything we did. Our grades weren’t handed to us, we had to work for them but he was always willing to explain anything we struggled on. Then he rewarded us at the end with a "I Survived Chemistry" party. Thanks to the way he has prepared us we will be able to enter college confidently. He really cares about his students and he displays it daily in the numerous things he does for us all. He is honestly one of the best teachers I have ever had because he cares about every student, wants us all to be successful, and is willing to help in any way possible. Thank you for your consideration of my Chemistry teacher, Mr. Nicholas Sourvelis. - Kayla C.


-Mr. Sourvelis,
As an educator with 26 years experience, I know how important it is to receive feedback from students, parents, coworkers, and supervisors. I think you should know how your teaching has positively impacted my daughter. You showed her that you respected her and did not force her to be someone she is not. You did, however, encourage her to be a leader in group work. You challenged her to go beyond what others have expected students to do, but you provided guidance along the way. When you felt that you had not done your best teaching, you admitted it and made adjustments. You gave the class a chance to voice concerns. You set expectations high. Thank you for "feeding her brain". I appreciate what you have done for her. I want to encourage you to continue in the field of education. We need more teachers like you!


-Hey Mr. Sourvelis!
Just wanted to say I really enjoyed your class this year. It really helped me a lot and inspired me to really try hard. I've decided to take my ACT test again since your class. I've found out I actually really enjoy chemistry. I'm thinking about pharmacy school. Thanks so much for your help. I truly enjoyed your class! Keep on doing what you're doing, because you are putting a great impact on kids futures. You have mine! - Karli


-Mr. Sourvelis,
I really enjoyed having you as my chemistry teacher this year. I learned so much. You may not know this, but you really inspired me to become a teacher. You told us not to be miserable with our job and do what we love; no matter what kind of money you make. That is why i am going to be a teacher. So thank you so much.


-Hello Mr. S,
I just wanted to say thank you for everything that you helped me with this past year, you're an amazing teacher and I am so happy that I had chemistry with you. I know that you are here if I need any questions! Thank you so much!