I believe that teaching is truly my calling. It was never my plan to be a teacher. Throughout high school and college, while I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the sciences, I always planned on going into the healthcare field or research. I accomplished this goal and conducted research in a biotechnology company for many years. I was fairly happy doing it. When a family situation forced me to take some time off from work, I became involved in my childrens' school and that was when I realized how much I enjoyed working with young people. That was when I got certified to teach and got my first teaching job shortly after. I have never been happier! I was originally certified to teach biology, but when I was given the opportunity to get certified in physics I hesitantly accepted. I never imagined I would be able to teach physics and actually enjoy doing it, but it happened! I love teaching physics. I love how physics is so simple and complex at the same time. Since I teach 9th grade physics and AP Physics I, I focus more on conceptual understanding. I really enjoy presenting a tough problem to my students and watching them work through and solve it. Sometimes I will present a problem to my students that I haven't figured out myself and we solve it together. Sometimes my students use a different method to solve the problem than the one I used, and we use this opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of each method. One of the best compliments that I have received as a teacher is that I learn along with my students. I hope that I always remain this excited about teaching and learning, and I believe that my students will help me achieve this goal!