Who we are

Zach Arnold

My journey to Tipwik Tree started in education 12 years ago in Lincoln, ME, where I taught biology, physics and chemistry and coached alpine skiing, soccer, football, baseball and tennis. I was a class advisor and advisor to a one act play as well as the improv troupe. Professionally in the district, I was the proficiency based learning leader, a stipend position where I attempted to support colleagues, created professional development workshops and provided support to staff who were expected to change the way they instructed, assessed and graded. As a teacher in his early 20’s, I gained a lot of eperience fast and quickly realized that education goes far beyond content and included thinking skills and social-emotional skills. Some of the most important lessons require patience, a positive connection and the ability to express empathy toward all students regardless of the challenges and trauma they experienced.

When my wife and I decided to start a family, we chose to move a bit further south (closer proximity to more ammenities and entertainment). I took a job at Orono High School and quickly begin to take on course loads full of students who didn’t enjoy traditional education and many of whom were students who had obstacles in the way of accessing traditional academics. These included challenges with executive functioning, mental health, learning disabilities, etc. As my course loads got more challenging, I realized I truly loved working with these kids, pulling them into courses, in hopes of giving them the communication skills, critical thinking skills and coping strategies—and also to give them the most important science content that they might need in the future, in a way they could relate to and find an interest in.

I began to pull kids into tennis who I thought would benefit from positive connections in a positive environment and a place free from grades and judgement where they could develop a mindset that gave them the confidence to grow toward success in all settings.

I have enjoyed my years in Orono so very much. The students I have worked with on the tennis team and in the classroom have meant the world to me. Nothing has given me more joy than seeing some of the most stressed, off task, frustrated, and sometimes angry students find success and positive relationships in the classroom, on the courts and later on in the careers that they built the courage to pursue. 

Leaving my job as a traditional public, secondary education teacher is a choice that I have made to continue to work with the kids who struggle to fit the typical classroom. I hope to work with these kids in a smaller, more easily adaptible environment where they can make mistakes free of hurtful judgement, grow as learners and people, build the confidence to take risks and try as many times as necessary to find success.

Tipwik Tree Educational Services, L3C, up until now has been a dream. I am beyond excited to be persuing this this journey.