My name is Joe Cohen.  This is currently my 17th year as an educator!  I love being a Crocidile!   I began my career as a P.E. Teacher and remained in that position for 7 years. After wanting a change, I began teaching in the classroom the following year.  I taught Kindergarten for one year and moved to 2nd grade for 6 years. This will be my third year teaching 3rd grade. 

I really enjoy opening student's eyes to their full potential and showing them what THEY are capable of doing.  I do this by creating a safe and open environment free of judgement allowing students to express themselves.  In my classroom, I try to make learning as fun as possible through movement and cooperative learning. I also enforce personal responsibility and taking pride in one's work and behavior.

On the personal side, I am married to my wife Shelly of 11 years and together we have two boys (11 and 9 years old).  I am originally from Bronson, FL, which is outside of Gainesville.  I went to school at Sante Fe Community College and I finished my degree in Physical Education at Florida State University. I enjoy hanging out with my family, coaching my son's sports teams, FSU athletics, and music production/engineering.