Congratulations to Mr. Fredric Navarre for being selected as the Teacher of the Year for Aldine 9th Grade School, 2021-2022. 

As a 3rd Generation Educator, most could imagine education being a daily topic in my childhood home. My parents always instilled in us the value of a quality education. When I completed my undergraduate education, I entered insurance sales. Shortly after, I became an Assistant Marketing Director with State Farm Insurance but my passion was always to be an educator. A few years later, I resigned from State Farm and did just that. I believe my greatest contribution has been educating students on real world issues and the many ways they can legally make money. Though I’m no longer in the corporate sector, I still play an active role in the business community. This affords me the opportunity to introduce my students to models of achievement. Together, we mentor students and teach them what they won’t learn in a core class. When students have completed my course, they have a clear understanding of the stock market, how to purchase investment properties, life insurance, college preparation, how to achieve the maximum ROI, and overall finance. My class motto is “Build Your Brand”. I help students understand that their brand is one of the most important investments they will ever make. My greatest accomplishment as an educator is the many students that contact me years after they’ve graduated to tell me about their first investment, or show me their new home, business, first stock purchase, etc.  It’s a daily reminder that my career journey is not in vain.

 

Constant change in contemporary teaching and learning environments forces one to think critically about a teaching philosophy. I believe that to be most effective as an instructor, one must create an environment that is interactive and collaborative that also promotes problem-solving and critical thinking. Effective teaching is comprised of two necessary and related elements: knowledge of the content and the ability to communicate it. K-12 Education must go beyond simply passing on information. It should involve rigorous training in the methods of developing, analyzing, and communicating new knowledge. Teaching should extend well beyond the classroom. For many students, the most powerful lessons are learned in informal discussions and working problems during office hours.

To measure student learning, I provide multiple assessments which include: 

  •       Collaborative research projects 
  •       Formal scholarly research papers 
  •       Portfolios 
  •       Presentations (Speaking, Multimedia) 
  •       Quizzes 
  •       Traditional exams 
  •       Writing Activities 

 

Alvin Toffler, futurist, and author of the classic Future Shock, so eloquently puts it, when he says: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn”. Faculty must critically examine teaching philosophies, as the environments in which teaching and learning become increasingly diverse and varied. In order to achieve the ultimate goal of student learning, I strive to implement strategies that create opportunities for students to collaborate with each other and encourage them to think critically. My belief is that these strategies help students become ready and able to utilize their knowledge in their studies and in their future employment.

 

  • Aldine 9 Survey Coordinator, BAC Member, DECA Sponsor, College Week Sponsor, Leadership Academy Sponsor, Project MALE Sponsor
  • STEM Academy Board Chairman
  • Annual Kasino Royale Scholarship Fundraiser Chairman
  • American Cancer Society (Board Member, Greater Houston)
  • Delta Research and Educational Foundation – DREF (Board Member, Finance Committee Member)
  • Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. (National Finance Committee Board Member, Former Chapter Polemarch, Life Member)
  • Southern University College of Business MBA Advisory Council (Board Member)
  • Texas Southern University Jesse H. Jones School of Business (Board Member)
  • Achievement Through Leadership Foundation, Inc. (Board Chairman)
  • Houston Area Urban League Young Professionals – HAULYP (Member)
  • The Ph.D. Project (Member)
  • Houston Young Professional Endeavor (Member)
  • City of Houston Mayor’s Anti-Gang Office (Mentor)
  • United Way of Greater Houston Project Blueprint (Class 30)
  • National Science Foundation Review Panels (Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Fall 2019, Spring 2020 Division of Undergraduate Education-Engineering)
  • NASA High School Aerospace Program (Technical Reviewer 2019 – 2020)
  • The KPMG Foundation Ph.D. Project (Class of 2011)
  • Bay Area Charter Schools (Former School Board Member)
  • Asians Against Domestic Abuse (Former Board Treasurer)
  • National Association of Black Accountants (Former Student Member)
  • Texas Southern University National Alumni Association (Former Chapter Vice President)
  • Kiwanis International (Former Chapter President)
  • Founder & CEO, PARK PLACE VALET
  • Founder & CEO, LAFAYETTE LOGISTICS
  • Founder & CEO, MOMENTUM CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
  • Founder & CEO, CASCADE INDEPENDENT LIVING
  • 2004 Kiwanian of the Year
  • 2015 Texas A&M University at Galveston Faculty Fellows Award
  • 2017 Texas Southern University Jesse H. Jones School of Business “40 Under 40” Award
  • 2018 Who’s Who in Black Houston, 10th Edition Honoree
  • 2020 State of Texas House of Representatives Resolution & Flag
  • 2021 Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Polemarch Award
  • 2021 City of Houston Proclamation of Fredric Navarre Day
  • 2021 United States House of Representatives Certificate of Congressional Recognition