Forrest McKinnis

Teacher Resume (Updated August 2026)

Teacher Forrest McKinnis

Forrest McKinnis

Educator • Student Re-Engagement • Innovation • Project-Based Learning

Richland School District | Richland Washington

01 | ABOUT ME

Teaching is about more than delivering content.

I am a secondary educator who believes students do their best learning when they feel known, challenged, supported, and connected to something that matters.

Much of my career has been spent working with students who have not always found success in traditional school settings. That experience has shaped the way I teach.

I believe in:

Relationships before assumptions.
Clarity before compliance.
Challenge with support.
Real-world learning over busy work.
Kindness as a foundation—not just a strategy.

My goal is simple: create learning environments where students begin to believe that success is possible again.

Every student has a story. Great teaching starts by being willing to understand it.

02 | WHAT I DO

STUDENT RE-ENGAGEMENT

I specialize in creating pathways for students who are credit deficient, disengaged, or struggling within traditional educational systems.

My approach combines flexibility with accountability, helping students rebuild confidence while continuing to move toward graduation.

My Focus

Alternative Learning Experiences
Credit Recovery
Graduation Planning
Student Goal Setting
Individualized Learning Pathways
Family Communication
Progress Monitoring
Relationship-Centered Support

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

Students should have opportunities to make, design, solve, create, present, and reflect.

I design learning experiences that connect academic standards to authentic projects and real-world problems.

Students in my classes may find themselves:

Creating a marketing campaign
Building a professional portfolio
Designing digital media
Developing financial plans
Exploring careers
Photographing their community
Building websites
Creating products for real audiences
Reflecting on their growth

The question I continually ask is:

“Why would this matter to a student outside of this classroom?”

CAREER & LIFE READINESS

School should help students prepare for more than the next assignment.

My courses intentionally connect classroom learning to the skills students need after graduation.

Students Develop Skills In:

Career Exploration
Identifying strengths, interests, careers, and postsecondary pathways.

Financial Literacy
Budgeting, credit, debt, income, saving, and financial decision-making.

Employability
Résumés, cover letters, interviewing, communication, professionalism, and workplace expectations.

Digital Skills
Canva, Adobe tools, web design, digital portfolios, photography, media creation, and emerging technology.

03 | THE CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE

Structured enough to feel safe.

Flexible enough to meet students where they are.

Students deserve to know what to expect when they enter a classroom.

Predictable routines, clear instructions, visual supports, examples, checklists, and consistent expectations allow students to spend less energy figuring out the system and more energy learning.

My classrooms regularly include:

LEARN

Short, accessible instruction that gives students the knowledge they need.

CREATE

Students apply their learning through meaningful projects.

CONNECT

Students talk, collaborate, receive feedback, and connect learning to the real world.

REFLECT

Students identify what they learned, what challenged them, and what they will do next.

04 | PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

RICHLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT

River’s Edge High School

Secondary Educator

My work at River’s Edge focuses heavily on students who benefit from flexible, personalized, and nontraditional approaches to education.

Areas of Experience

Contract Learning / Alternative Learning
Health & Physical Education
Career & Technical Education
Business & Marketing
Careers & Financial Literacy
Project-Based Learning
Credit Recovery
Graduation Pathways
Digital Media
Educational Technology

What This Work Looks Like

I design learning environments in which students have meaningful choices while still receiving the structure necessary to succeed.

That means balancing:

Flexibility + Accountability

Relationships + Expectations

Student Choice + Clear Outcomes

Technology + Human Connection

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