I love to see students gain an understanding of the material through examples related to the world around us. I have had experience teaching as a substitute from 1st through 12th grade, including many assignments with students with developmental disabilities, where I was able to work with these students more on an individual basis. I have also taught many undergraduate laboratory classes in physics and biology. These courses provide a great opportunity to work one-on-one with students who need some extra help and to make sure that everyone is comfortable with the topic being examined. I believe that students gain a better understanding and appreciation for the material when they are led to the answer through questions and examples rather than just being told how to answer the question or perform the calculation. Although I have mostly taught at the college level, I have experience teaching students at all grade levels and enjoy helping students learn regardless of their current knowledge or ability in a particular subject. I enjoy interacting with students of all ages and helping them understand a subject, especially when they are having difficulties. I think many students who dislike school or a particular subject because they are not good at it or do not get it. The reason they are not good at it is likely because they have not spent the time or had the individual attention they need to be successful. I enjoy being able to spend the time to answer questions and ultimately help the student get to the answer on their own. When they can do this, they gain a much deeper appreciation for the thing they are studying. It is also great to see a student come to an understanding of the topic after they are given some information or strategies they did not have before.

Cooking, hiking, birding, making cheese and tofu, gardening