Interest and Experience in Education

Education was important in my house. My mom was a science teacher, and I wanted to be like her, but in high school I had already done higher math than she had. She encouraged me toward an engineering degree. I repaired airplanes for a while and felt a confined by my fellow engineers. I tested and programmed software for a while and felt freer, but I was missing something. I still wanted to be like my mom and her mother; science teachers. About a decade ago I began meeting my entrance criteria to get certified as a teacher, but I chose to be a mom first. I have been volunteering at my child’s school in the science classroom, and grading math papers for her classes. I'm active in the PTA. Last year, I spent forty hours observing and participating in a chemistry, astronomy, and environmental science classroom at a local high school. I was impressed with how the students were using laptops and styluses instead of paper and pencil. I am seeking an endorsement in chemistry and secondary math. I get so excited when talking about atoms, equations, and Pythagoras. I want to bring them to life in class, maybe with a flare of the dramatic, and show my students how these concepts are applicable to their lives. I seek that spark of sudden understanding.