Mr. Diaz received his Bachelor of Arts in English and Master of Arts in Education from the University of Arizona. He also considers his time as a United States Army Medical Specialist and as an overnight homeless shelter supervisor as important, formative experiences. Mr. Diaz has been fortunate to implement the BASIS curriculum in various cultural and socioeconomic populations; he is at BASIS Independent because he believes the BASIS curriculum works. Mr. Diaz’s teaching philosophy is based around the principles of Project-Based Learning, and if he had to describe himself in three educational theories, they would be Bloom’s taxonomy, Ausubel’s subsumption theory and Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development. He keeps students busy, knowing students are capable of great ideas, and he understands his role in facilitating a student’s approach toward those great ideas. The most important aspect in the classroom is compassion. A compassionate teacher remembers the struggle of being a student and behaves accordingly. Compassion results in thoughtful, well-planned lessons and a classroom environment respectful of a student’s humanity. When not at work, Mr. Diaz enjoys creating abstract and surrealistic paintings. He also enjoys studying project management and user experience design.​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌​‍‌‌​​​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌​‍‌‌​‍‌‌‌‌‌‍​​‌‌‌‌‍‍​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‍‌‌‌‌​‍‌‌​‍‌‌​‍‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍‌‌