Education: Wright State University (bachelor's degree in science, master's in teacher leadership)
Why did you become a science teacher? I actually started out wanting to be a scientist and was studying to be a pharmacist, then I switched gears and worked for a while with the EPA. It was my dad who pointed out — accurately, I might add! — that I am way too "girly" for a job where I would be mucking around creeks in knee-high boots, so I parlayed my love of science into a teaching career.
You are 21 years into your teaching career. Are you glad you made the switch? I am so glad because I get to help kids discover their love of science. I love to involve the community in my classroom and last year, I invited Dr. Brian Merrill, who is a former student of mine and is now a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow at Wright State University, to talk to my students about his study of the brain and mental illness. The students were so intrigued by Dr. Merrill's work; I think it's important to show kids real-world applications for things that they are learning in the classroom. I recently posed a question to my students. I asked them if they would rather be a famous movie star or find a cure for cancer. The majority said they would rather find a cure for cancer, and we discussed what this would involve. I like to peak their interest and get my kids excited about science and about learning new things.
You have a particular passion for getting young girls excited about science. Why is that? I have been involved with the Young Women's Summer Institute at Ohio State University, and it was so neat to see girls excelling in science. They were studying the watershed and completing experiments and speaking scientific jargon and you could just see how this helped them develop a real sense of self-esteem. They were really proud of their accomplishments. I had some of my girls tell me that it was so cool that there was no one there to make fun of them because they are smart and love science. My goal as a teacher is to make science cool…for all my students, whether they are girls or boys.
What is something you are proud of professionally? I am proud of completing the program with the Dayton Regional STEM Center to become a STEM fellow. Through the program, I was able to meet teachers from other schools and scientists from the community who served as instructors. We worked in teams and developed and presented STEM lessons and we were able to bring the strategies we learned back to our home schools and to incorporate them into our classrooms. There is a huge push in the job market for people who have 21st-century skills and are innovative and collaborative. Using STEM strategies in the classroom is a great way for kids to learn these skills. There is less paper-and-pencil, they are more invested in their work and the work is hands-on and competitive, which middle school kids love! I am passionate about teaching science, and my hope is that my students see this and that they realize that they can take what they are passionate about and turn it into a career that they will love.
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