Tanner DeCrapio

Inspired by his own high school experience, Tanner DeCrapio aspires to help students succeed as a physics and engineering math teacher himself. He used to live in Erie, Pennsylvania before moving to teach at Chantilly.

Where did you go to college?

I went to college at Pennsylvania State University where I got my bachelors and masters in architectural engineering. Then, I went to a different college where I got my teacher certification.

What drew you to teaching at Chantilly?

I actually have some family here in the area. I knew the schools in this area were very successful with great students. I wanted to become a part of that community.

What subjects do you teach and why do you like teaching them?

I teach a physics and an engineering math course. I like teaching them because there are so many real life applications and the content is really interesting to me, which leads to many labs and activities I can do.

Who inspired you to be a physics teacher?

It started with my high school physics teacher. They taught me not just physics, but how to learn and how to study. That really impacted me, and I [wanted] to have the same impact on students.

Did you always want to be a high school teacher?

I definitely wanted to be a physics teacher. I wanted to be a professor after doing a year of my PhD at Pennsylvania State, but [I realized] that wasn’t what I really wanted to do. That was more research-based and I wanted to teach. That’s when I decided to do a teacher certification and [become] a physics teacher.