STAFF SPOTLIGHT-JOHN NAVE

Staff Spotlight-John Nave

Posted on 02/11/2019

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"Mr. Nave is a teacher who has a great rapport with his students, and uses multiple hands-on activities and labs throughout the school year in order to teach the students...He is one of the most knowledgeable science teachers I have ever encountered.”
-Dustin Hitt, SMS Principal

JOHN NAVE
7th GRADE SCIENCE TEACHER
SULLIVAN MIDDLE SCHOOL

About Mr. Nave:
A native of Martinsville, John Nave brings many years of practical, hands-on experience to his seventh grade science classes at Sullivan Middle School. A graduate of Indiana State University, Mr. Nave first earned a degree in medical technology, which led him to work at both Regional Hospital and Crawford Memorial Hospital. During his career as a medical technologist, Mr. Nave worked alongside forensic pathologist Dr. Kohr, and taught immunohematology at ISU.

Following his teaching experience at ISU, Mr. Nave pursued a teaching degree, which he earned from ISU in 2000. For the past 16 years, Mr. Nave’s science class has been a favorite for many SMS students. 

Why he enjoys teaching:
“I like learning new things and I have fun helping kids like it too,” explained Mr. Nave. “I feel like I'm in the right place… I really enjoy [teaching] that age group.”

Hands-on learning:
“Seventh grade students haven't had a lot of experience in the lab ‘doing’ science and giving them those first experiences is very rewarding,” he said. “Some bigger projects include balsa wood airplanes and Rube Goldberg machines…and a highlight for many is the sheep heart dissection.”

How he spends his free time:
During the summer months, Mr. Nave continues his work as a lab technician. When he is not teaching or in the lab, he enjoys hunting, fishing and music.