Originally from Chicago, I'm happy to be back in the Midwest. I love teaching because I love to see students' enthusiasm when they understand something for the first time or when they finally accomplish something that is hard for them. Success in school is more than just about getting a grade. True success can build students' confidence, increase their desire to learn, and give them more optimism in their future endeavors. My Bachelor of Science degree is in Physics Teaching, with a minor in Chemistry, and my Master of Science degree is in Technology and Engineering Education. My programs well prepared me in the sciences and mathematics with many classes, labs, and tutoring opportunities. My Master's program is a rare field and has drastically reshaped the way I teach. For my thesis, I was able to study the effects of the engineering design process on students abilities to problem solve. Since then, I have focused my instruction not only on the content, but also on teaching kids how to think through challenging situations using an organized thought pattern. Instead of just help students with their homework, I work to help them understand the content and teach them how think through the problems so they can approach new situations without hesitation. My students have statistically been the highest in the school both in their classroom tests and on their standard tests. I've had particular success with closing the gender gap for my classes. On average, boys do 12% better than girls on their standard tests in science and math, but in my classes, there was no gender gap. All students did significantly higher than their school wide and statewide peers. I attribute this primarily to the ideas of teaching for understanding, using a gradual release of responsibility in solving problems, and teaching problem solving skills.

Cooking, hiking, canoeing, woodworking, sewing, cycling, impromptu science experiments