Photo by Tony Lewis, Jr.
The Gunston School, Centreville
Years Teaching Overall: 6
Years Teaching at Gunston: 5
Currently teaching: 9th–12th grade Chemistry, Honors Chemistry, and AP Chemistry
Proudest teaching moment: “I often have students come into my classroom with a preconceived idea about what chemistry is and they think it will be too hard for them or beyond their reach. I really enjoy watching the progression as they realize that I’m not going to make them memorize the periodic table and chemistry is actually applicable to things they see and do every day. I take great pride in seeing students use the support I provide to push themselves to work hard and develop the necessary skills to thrive in my classroom. As a teacher I try to reach all of my students and meet each of them where they are and it’s so rewarding to see the difference in their confidence in June compared to September.”
Teaching Philosophy: “More important than any of the facts or scientific concepts I teach my students, I strive to teach them to be critical thinkers and intelligent consumers of information. I place a huge emphasis on inquiry learning and in my classroom you will rarely find me lecturing at the front of the classroom. Students are always doing something--talking to their classmates and to me about the material, learning the language of science, and discovering resources to answer their questions. I usually answer questions with more questions in order to lead students to their own understanding. I want them to take ownership of their learning and I believe this not only helps them retain more information, but the skills they learn can be used to answer questions beyond my classroom.”
Toughest challenge facing educators: “Our students have so much on their plates that it can be challenging as a teacher to find the right balance of pushing them and also understanding that your class can’t always be their number one priority. As an educator, I try to remember that each of them is going through something different every day. I try to get to know the things they are doing outside of the classroom, by volunteering with them in the community, supporting our athletics teams, or just having a conversation about how their after-school job is going. I aim to teach each of my students as an individual and recognize that my role as an educator goes beyond just the subjects I teach them.”