Experience Summary
From a love of nature, I pursued a career in the life sciences, majoring in Biology as an undergraduate and exploring the plant sciences in graduate school. An interest in the organization of chromosomes led to work with a small soil nematode. I studied gene expression, energy metabolism, and immune responses in a long-lived stage of this little worm. My teaching experience began with students at the secondary level. I have taught subjects in the biological sciences at the community college and university levels, and have tutored college preparatory Chemistry. I now work with students in the public schools from kindergarten to high school levels. I enjoy helping others develop their potential and learn about the natural world. It is a pleasure to see students grow in understanding and gain confidence to solve problems successfully.
Teaching Style
My teaching style is flexible, depending upon the subject, number and age of students, and the framework of the learning environment. In a tutoring setting, the student's needs are evaluated and methods for meeting these needs are explored and applied. Students differ in learning styles. A combination of teaching approaches allows these differences to be manifested with a view toward reinforced learning through the student’s preferred style and improvement in the use of non-preferred styles. In working with young students, hands-on activities predominate. I enjoy both interacting with students about their experiences and sharing my experiences that relate to the topics at hand. For students at any age, my approach is to challenge them to work through problems or activities after being given foundational and/or relational concepts.