Socratic Shrake

I am an IB educator with teaching experience across lower school, middle school, and high school levels, including 2nd grade, 4th grade, MYP Individuals and Societies, and transitioning into 11th grade instruction. Working with such a wide range of students has helped me develop resources that balance academic rigor with creativity, engagement, and accessibility for different learning levels and styles.

I create inquiry based, classroom tested materials that encourage critical thinking, collaboration, and real world connections. My resources include simulations, DBQs, project based learning activities, graphic organizers, interactive lessons, scaffolded writing supports, and interdisciplinary projects designed to keep students actively involved in learning. I believe great teaching should spark curiosity and help students build confidence as thinkers and learners. My goal is to create resources that are practical for teachers, adaptable across grade levels, and meaningful for students.

I earned my Bachelor's degree from Oregon State University (Go Beavers!) and my Master's degree from George Fox University. For more than 18 years, I have worked in education, teaching students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Beyond the classroom, I am passionate about creating learning experiences that students actually remember. I love blending storytelling, creativity, humor, and real world connections into my teaching so that history and social studies feel alive rather than just something from a textbook. Many of my resources are inspired directly by lessons, projects, and activities that have been highly successful in my own classroom. Some of my earliest lessons about teaching came long before I entered the classroom. Growing up, I watched my father, Richard Shrake, train horses and teach riders from around the world. From him, I learned that patience is one of the most powerful teaching tools. Whether working with a horse or a student, progress comes from consistency, trust, encouragement, and understanding that everyone learns at their own pace. Those lessons continue to shape my approach to education and influence how I create resources that build confidence, curiosity, and lasting understanding. As both a teacher and curriculum creator, I understand the realities of the classroom and aim to make resources that are engaging for students while also saving teachers time and stress.