I’ve been teaching at Watonga High School for twelve years.  I’ve always taught all of the four sections of Biology I, along with Biology II, Human Anatomy/Phys and more recently AP Biology and AP Environmental Science. I achieved National Certification in 2000, found the process very rewarding and would be glad to help others who are seeking NBCT.

Previously I was a medical technologist but quit to raise my three daughters. My husband is a dental lab technician and we are thoroughly involved in all kinds of science conferences and activities.
                                                                                     

Watonga High School
PO Box 310
Watonga, OK  73772

For the past seventeen years, my husband, Fred and I have been overseas teachers in international high schools in India, Thailand and now, in Singapore. We have two beautiful boys, Clayton, 14, born in India, and Lars, 11, born in Thailand. We love our overseas expat life, but equally enjoy our summer jaunts home to the States to visit family and engage in professional development.

Currently, I am head of HS Science and teach Biology and AP Environmental Science and at Singapore American School (SAS). In the past, I have taught IBHL and AP Biology, Molecular Biology, Environmental Science, Marine Biology, Zoology, and Human Anatomy and Physiology and overseas.

In my spare time, I advise the green group on campus, Students Against Violation of the Environment (SAVE Club). I also love to lead student outdoor adventure trips in Asia and Oceania. As an avid SCUBA diver, I adore diving in Southeast Asian coral reef gardens with my family and with students.

At Singapore American School we recently adopted a new one-semester elective Biotechnology course. The new genomics knowledge and skills that my SAS teaching partner, Paul Welsh and I will learn at this Woodrow Wilson Institute will affect our program in many positive ways!
                                                                    

Singapore American School
Singaore

My love for Biology started in my freshman year of high school in Mr. Rubel’s classroom. He was very excited about the subject which transpired to me.  He pushed me in ways I didn’t even know existed.  I went on for more of this excitement during my senior year of AP Biology with Norman Rubel. When I left his classroom in June to attend Hope College, my thoughts included that I hoped I could encourage students as much as Mr. Rubel.

After graduating from Hope College with a major in Biology and a minor in English, I taught at Reeths-Puffer Middle School for one year.  But my destiny came after this at Lakeshore High School. I had the pleasure of serving their alternative education students in science for the first five years there.  I now enjoy teaching freshman Biology, Anatomy, Physiology and Forensic science, (Crime-Scene Investigation).  Lynda Smith, a great colleague of mine, and I share our lessons and our excitement for science!

My education has not stopped with Hope College.  I went on to get a Masters of Science Education at Western Michigan University.   I have spent summers studying at Hope College, at Virginia Tech, with Vernier and with Texas Instruments.

In my spare time I enjoy reading, gardening and cooking. I belong to our school book club and enjoy trying new recipes on friends and family.

                                          

Lakeshore High school
Stevensville, MI 49127

I teach Anatomy and Physiology-Honors and AP Biology.  I have taught these courses for the past 14 years.

One year prior to having children I taught biology.  During child-rearing years I was active in the League of Women Voters and received several governor’s appointments to various state agencies.  I chaired the Texas Committee for Energy Conservation (during the last oil crisis), and spent many years on the oversight committee (chairing for several years) for nuclear materials for the Texas Board of Health. I have testified before Congress for better air standards and have been a lobbyist at the local, state and national levels.  I was also on Mayor Kathy Whitmire’s staff when she was mayor of the City of Houston.

While I am still active politically, my energies now go toward education rather than environmental and energy law.  I returned to teaching once my children went to college. I have had a wonderful time—teaching honors students at high school level is continuously challenging, as is keeping up with the constantly changing science scene!

Seldom does a summer go by when I do not take a science course of some kind.  I am certainly looking forward to this summer and spending five weeks immersed in “cutting edge” science.



My most memorable experience in the last three years was a trip with five other teachers to the Amazon.  Visiting schools, travel down the Amazon and trips through the rainforest were spectacular!

Other “teacher” trips I have enjoyed include a narrow boat cruise down the waterways of England and a course (including daily water travel) in invertebrates at College of the Atlantic at Bar Harbor, Maine.

Last summer I spent 2 ½ weeks in Russia and this June I am going to Alaska.                                          

Kingwood High School
Kingwood, TX 77339

McDonogh 35
New Orleans, LA 70116

I have lived I the Northwest my entire life and much enjoy the resources, temperament, way of life and uniqueness of the area.  My teaching career has thus far consisted of twenty years in some form or other as an educator.  I teach currently at Central Catholic High School in Portland with past experience instructing in both private and public schools, rural and urban. Teaching assignment have included teaching Biology, Molecular Biology, Biology II, Chemistry and Math courses.  I have spent several past summers developing and honing molecular skills by participating in Science Education Partnerships Workshops and being a fellow in the Partners in Science Program. Other summer activity has involved being a teacher in residence in  SimHelth program that developed materials and models for middle and high school students looking into the process of metabolism of pharmaceuticals in the body. Other experiences have included several years of employment with the U.S. Forest Service as a biological technician working throughout the Northwest region with forest pathologists and entomologists doing fieldwork that focused on forest health issues.  I enjoy tying past experiences, new skills, reflective awareness, and a lust for learning into the living picture of science I try to create for my students.

Setting goals and never losing sight of them is a quality I find important, both in my life and of the students I encounter in the classroom. One of my primary goals in teaching is to continue the growth of a sound molecular biology component in our biology program. I seek to have students learn skills and concepts about this evolving area of science as well as reflect on the place and role these new technologies have on their futures.

In order to obtain the instruments and equipment for this program, I have had to learn a bit about writing grants to make these goals a reality. The results have assisted in procuring molecular lab equipment to aid in developing hands-on skills in this blooming area of biology.                          

Central Catholic High School
Portland, OR 97214

My name is Rick Fabian, I’m 37 years of age, and was born and raised in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, a small town about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh. For the past four years I have been teaching in the Washington School District.  I have taught half-time Biology and half-time Special Education. I am currently teaching 8th grade Science and Learning Support Math at the Washington Park Middle School.  I have taught Advanced Placement Biology, Learning Support Reading, Science, Management Skills and Learning strategies.

I received a B.S. Secondary Education/Biology and General Science and a master of Education Degree in the Education of the Mentally/Physically Handicapped from California University of Pennsylvania.  I also have obtained an additional 30 credits in science beyond my Master’s degree. I have always attempted to improve my knowledge base and my skills through participation in a rather eclectic blend of learning activities.  I have expanded my knowledge through the PA Governor’s Institute for Life Science (2000) and Environment and Ecology (2002), The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship on Biodiversity Workshop, internship with the Department of Energy (DOE), National Energy Technology Laboratories (NTL) at the Morgantown, WV site, Intensive AP Biology workshop at Purdue University, IU courses: PA songbirds, Project WILD Aquatic, Nature of Fallingwater, Teaching at Friendship Hill and Wetland Wonders.

I was fortunate to have an uncle who was a Professor of Biology at California University of Pennsylvania.   I will always remember going there when I was young and loved to see the insect collections, fish, birds, reptiles and being totally fascinated.  So, my love for science was sparked at a young age.  My objective is to obtain and M.S. or a Ph.D.  I am one of four teachers selected to participate in the Middle Atlantic from Space GPS Grant Project at California University of PA.

I am currently the Head Junior-High Wrestling and Assistant Girl’s Softball Coach for the Washington School District from 1999 to the present. I also volunteer at our midget wrestling and softball organizations, as well as our High School Ski Club.  I am currently a Board Member of Washington Communities That Care (WCTC). It is an organization that helps our surrounding communities to become stronger through awareness and communication.

An example of how my experiences benefit my students as well as myself comes from a story that was told to me by a gentleman named Jim. When he was in third grade, his teacher had the class decorate a large cardboard box to look like an airplane. She said that the kids who did well on their lessons could sit in the “airplane” for their other lessons. Little Jim loved the airplane, so e studied and did well.  He was in the airplane a lot. He continued to do well in school and developed an interest in flying. Upon graduation, he attended the U.S. Naval Academy flight school and test pilot school. He was accepted into the astronaut program and became Commander of Apollo 15.  Jim Irwin, one of only 12 men to walk on the moon, gave credit to his third grade teacher for lighting the spark that helped propel him to his greatest adventure many years later. I want to be that teacher and I want to be that man. I want my adventures to light many sparks in many future generations.

Washington School District
Washington, PA 15301

I have been teaching for 21 years. My favorite classes are Science Research, AP biology and Chemistry.  I became a teacher because I wanted to model my favorite high school teacher and thought I’d never get bored teaching students to love science. I especially wanted to teach kids to inquire about the world.

When I’m not teaching or attending teacher training, I love to spend time with my family; Ryan, Kristen, Evan, (my kids), and my husband, Lyle. In my “free” time I like to quilt with my mom and sister and travel to new places. I love to write curriculum, find new inquiry labs and learn new techniques. Biotechnology, genetics and microbiology are my favorite Biology topics.

 

Miami High School
Miami, OK  74354

I have been teaching for five years, which includes my present position at Bailey High School in Jackson, Mississippi.  I teach grades 9-12 Biology I, Biology II, and Human Anatomy.  I started teaching during my last semester in graduate school as a part-time job; it was the first job I truly loved. Becoming a fulltime educator was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  The teaching profession has afforded me exciting opportunities to learn new and innovative scientific concepts, to be creative, to develop professionally, to share ideas and to inspire others.  During my years teaching, as few as they may be, I have experienced a greater level of personal job satisfaction than I ever thought possible; even on the most challenging of days I couldn’t dream of doing anything else.

 

Bailey Magnet High School for
Health-Related Professions
Jackson, MS  39202

Hello. My name is Jennifer Gordinier. This is my second year as a science teacher at Pine Crest School and my third as a member of the swimming staff. 

I graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science degree from Hobart and William Smith College in Geneva, NY. I received a Master of Science degree from the Dept. of Cell and Molecular Biology in 1999 from Albany Medical College. My research focused on the ability of two growth factors with slightly different amino acid sequences to potentiate the effects of thyroid hormone and specific signaling pathways in vitro. I loved being in the laboratory—research fueled the fire within for many years.

Upon completion of my graduate studies, I decided to pursue a slightly different direction and part of the country and began teaching in sunny South Florida.  It is rewarding to bring my love of molecular biology and research techniques to students at Pine Crest School.  I am currently teaching both biology and our research honors program. At the end of my school day, I can be found at the “Little School Pool” instructing our future Olympic swimmers—a year-round endeavor but one that’s worth it!

I am very excited to be one of this year’s participants in the Woodrow Wilson program!  I will have just finished two weeks at Lawrenceville School with the Klingenstein Program for Independent School teachers so it appears I am making this “Home” for most of my summer. I look forward to meeting everyone in July.

Pine Crest School
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl 33308

I was born in Huntington, Long Island. I attended high school in the desert city Beesheva, Israel. I had an excellent Biology teacher who inspired me to enter the field of Science Education. I started tutoring high school students in 11th grade and really enjoyed it! I      graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.S. in Biology, an M.S. in Molecular Biology from Hunter College, an M.A. in Secondary Science Education and an Ed.S in School Administration and Supervision from Brooklyn College, and a PhD. from Georgia State     University. I spent one year at the Weizmann Institute of Science as a Research Fellow. I have taught in junior high, high school and college for 23 years. I enjoy keeping my students up to date with all the new scientific developments, especially in the area of DNA Genomics. I have taught Physical Science, Chemistry, Earth Science, AP Biology, and Honors Biology. Presently, I teach Biology, Genetics, and Microbiology at Walton High School. I enjoy collaborating with my science colleagues at Walton. We are in the    process of writing an inquiry lab manual for our General Biology students. I most enjoy teaching Microbiology and Genetics. In these courses, I expose my students to the amazing world of DNA Biotechnology. Seeing their excitement and sense of accomplishment after cloning their very own gene and isolating its protein is worth all the intense lab preparations. In addition to my teaching responsibilities, I am the curriculum and instruction committee chairman, Genetics and Microbiology advisor, supervisor of independent student research, mentor for new teachers, sponsor of the chess club, and school representative for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE). I am an active member in the Georgia Science Teachers Association and the Georgia Association for Gifted Children. I spend time over the summer doing research in the Biology Department at Georgia Sate University.

           My wife is an optometrist and manages her own office. We have two wonderful children, Yoni (14) and Elisheva (17). I love to swim, canoe, play tennis, and scuba dive. I especially love to dive in the coral reefs of the Red Sea and the Big Island of Hawaii.

           Last summer I attended the AP Biology Institute at the University of Georgia. This summer, I look forward to spend time and collaborate with some of the best Biology teachers in the country.

Walton High School
Marietta, GA 30062

I currently work at Wingfield High School in Jackson, MS.  I teach Biology I, which includes 9th and 20th graders.  I’ve been teaching for six years and Biology I and Chemistry are mostly all I’ve taught.  When I started teaching it was only going to be “for a few years” until I could go back to school and major in something else or go to Grad. School.  Since then I have found it to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life., I can’t imagine doing anything else.

I am married to Marty Greene and have two stepsons, Jason and Josh and almost two “grandchildren”, Wade and one on the way.
 

Wingfield High School
Jackson, MS 39204

I teach General Science; Biology, Chemistry, Physical Science and Earth Science. Currently I’m teaching five classes totaling 165 students.  My favorite lesson projects are; Botany, Solar Systems and Constellations, Heredity and Genetics, Ethno botany, Fossils and Archeology. 

I’ve been teaching for six years at Richard Green. The students prepare exit projects each marking period for evaluation and presentation.

 

Richard Green
Bronx, NY  10467

I teach Anatomy and Physiology at PC High in Oklahoma City.  This is my third year and I absolutely love it! Teaching has been my career of choice since I used to play school in my bedroom with all of my stuffed animals. Once I got in high school, my Biology teacher inspired me even further to become a science teacher by making science fund and interesting.

I am currently getting my Masters degree from the University of Central Oklahoma even though my heart will always be a true aggie, (Go Pokes!). In my spare time I like to read and exercise.  Also, I coach the Lady Pirate Tennis Team at Putnam City.  My life is blessed with a lot of fund, great friends and family and wonderful students.

 

Putnam City High School
Oklahoma, OK 73122

I was born in Baltimore, Maryland on August 1, 1978 to Bonnie Gorrell Horning and Mark Christopher Horning.  I lived in Maryland for eight years and then moved to Sterling, Virginia, where I currently reside.  Longwood College, now Longwood University, is the institute at which I earned my undergraduate degree in Biology and received a secondary teaching license.

My mother is a teacher, however, I was never interested in actively pursuing the profession until I student taught under Odette Scovel at Park View High School. Once I began interacting with students and sharing my interest in science, I knew teaching would be a satisfying and rewarding experience for me.  My first year teaching was Life Science in middle school at the 7th grade level.  After my first year, I decided to move to the high school, where I would be able to teach upper-level students as well as coach athletes.  Currently, I am completing my second year teaching 10th grade Biology. I have taught both academic and honors level classes; furthermore, I have had the opportunity to co-teach with a special education teacher.

In my spare time, I enjoy all outdoor activities such as hiking, rock climbing, camping, and fishing.  In addition, I have been an equestrian for most of my life.  I have also been swimming since I was four, and I began coaching the swim team at Stone Bridge High School this year.  I am proud to say that, as my first year as head coach, our boys' team placed third in the district, and our girls' team won the district title.

Although I teach general Biology, my true passion lies in genetics and evolution. I hope to incorporate what I learn in this program into my curriculum next year.
 

Stone Bridge High School
Ashburn, VA  20147

I decided to teach biology after pursuing other degrees and jobs.  After spending a year in Norway as a Rotary exchange student, I returned to the U.S. where I studied vocal performance and Norwegian language.  I spend a summer studying Norwegian language, literature and arts at the University of Oslo which helped me earn my Norwegian language degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. I worked in the wireless industry for the next five years as I continued to study and travel. I really enjoy languages and returned to school to study German.  I participated in a study abroad program in Cologne where I lived with a local family for a semester.  I also finished a degree in speech communications.  After I took a year off from school and focused on work, I realized that the business world was not as rewarding as I hoped. It was then that I decided to teach.  I returned to school and earned a degree in Biology and an M.Ed.

I now reside in Illinois where I have been teaching Biology in Downers Grove for six years. My diverse background and many interests have helped me design creative, innovative projects to engage students in science.  I really love what I do.
 

Community High School
 District 99-South
Downers Grove, IL  60516

I was born in Huntington Beach, California and grew up in Fountain Valley, California.  I went to the University of California at Berkeley majoring in Integrative Biology and minored in Education.  I graduated in 1999 and began teaching thereafter as a Los Angeles Unified School District Intern.  This is my fourth year teaching with the district at Carnegie Middle School in Carson which is at the southern border of the district. I teach 7th and 8th grade science. I attended the Woodrow Wilson Environmental Institute and am excited to attend this institute.

I just finished a program at UCLA. The purpose of the program was to integrate marine science and state science standards.

 

Andrew Carnegie Middle School
Carson, CA 90745

Biking, reading, playing the piano and traveling are my favorite hobbies. My favorite television programs are PBS, Discovery and BBC. I have a cat named Teddy—independent but warm and loving.

In the last three years my most exciting professional experience was attending the AP Seminar at UC-Riverside.  I had the opportunity tot meet Neal Campbell, author of the text used by most colleges and universities.

I own a small village house in the South of France—I really enjoy spending time there and exploring the wonderful sites and history of the region.
 

Palm Valley School
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270

Reading, scrapbooking and choral singing are my favorite hobbies while CSI and Seinfeld reruns are my favorite television shows.

We have three cats.  Two of them, Cammy and Annabelle were actually my children’s pets who became mine as our children left for college. Our newest cat, Garfield, appeared at our doorstep during a snowstorm and has refused to leave.

In the last three years my most exciting professional experience was when I attended a three Geology Camp sponsored by University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Through this experience, I had the opportunity to develop curriculum for a school-wide fossil dig and to make presentations during the yearly Tennessee Science Teacher Association Conventions. I also made many professional connections with teachers in Tennessee and became an officer of Tennessee Earth Science Teachers.  These opportunities have allowed me to experience tremendous growth in my profession.

I have a genuine love and concern for middle school age students.  Everyday is a new day and a new challenge with never a dull moment.  My elementary education background enables me to take complex topics and break them into manageable ones.  Hands-on activities are my trademark.
By the time of the institute, my daughter and I will have completed a trip to Belize to study the geology and geography of the area. We both learned to scuba dive for the trip (even though I’m a bit leery of the water).  I hope to develop experiences and convey knowledge to my students.

Dyersburg Middle School
Dyersburg, TN  37352

I like outdoor recreational activities as my hobbies and my favorite television shows are Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends and C.S.I. Oreo is a female cat that has a gorgeous white and black coat. She is a very loving, loyal and fun cat at the “young”
Age of 18.

My most exciting professional experience was at the cold spring Harbor DNA Learning  Center in July, 2002. I was selected to investigate and develop innovative DNA experiments utilizing state of the art equipment and research.  We worked collaboratively as internationally chosen educators with the intent to share our findings with our colleagues in our respective states when we returned home.  We were honored to meet and dialogue with Dr. Watson as he shared his autobiography with us.  It was a memorable and exciting experience because we genuinely shared our knowledge and expertise with the common goal to improve instruction in the Biological Sciences.

My students and I were spotlighted on the front cover of the Arizona Business Journal for our innovative experimentations in “Doctoring DNA”.  We were also published in our local newspaper for our Brassica and Butterflies experiments that were scheduled to be included in the next NASA shuttle mission for observation and experimentation. Thirdly, we were selected to be the first class to sponsor a DNA Extravaganza through a Service Learning Project. My ninth graders set up nine stations that explored different aspects of DNA Science and tutored them through the stations.  We celebrated the 50th birthday of the discovery of DNA by Watson and Crick. Our final spotlight was being chosen by COX Communication to create a videotape of my students integrating science and technology in the classroom.  
 

Powell Junior High School
Mesa, AZ 85210

While growing up I lived in the inner city of Chicago and the foothills of Colorado. I presently live on an eighty-acre farm on the banks of the Mississippi River. I got into teaching because while in college, my friends and professors told me that I had a gift for making complicated topics seem simple and that I ought to become a teacher. Half way through college I finally listened to them and I haven’t regretted that decision.

I’ve taught for most of the last twenty-five years.  I can’t really say what I most enjoy about teaching.  I think all the subjects I teach are very interesting, and the students, well, they’re great. I miss the eighth graders.  They are so spontaneous and so easily impressed with a simple demonstration that they are fund to teach. On the other hand, with the older students, it’s fun to get them to explore new ideas, to question their standard assumptions and to see them achieve a level of work that they didn’t think they could achieve. I guess that I’m one of the lucky people who get to do what they love.
 

Nauvoo-Colusa High School
Nauvoo, IL 62354

My hobbies are biking, hiking and ice skating. The Simpsons is my favorite television program.

In the last three years, my most exciting professional experience was judging the Con-Edison Science Bowl. It was great watching the students getting excited about science.






 

H. Lehman High School
Bronx, NY  10461

My hobbies are reading, California athletic events, golfing badly and eating out.  CSI Miami is my favorite television program.

My housemate is also a science teacher and we share a number of pets.  Excluding the fish, all are female which makes for an interesting household; two pure bred mutts, Hershey and Annie, four cats, Jack, Pumkin, Callie and Goldie. There are three freshwater tanks with 11 fish, one saltwater fish tank with two fish, one Iguana, Bella and at school I have a freshwater tank with 22 fish and an Iguana named Sparky. Hershey is my baby of them all.  She has a face only a mother could love. She looks like a little chocolate-colored pig. She loves to give kisses or she sneezes on people she likes.

My most exciting professional experience in the last three years is the summer of 2000 driving to Fresno State for the San Joaquin Valley Writing Project’s summer institute. This institute changed the way I taught and designed lessons in math and science. I now work on informational reading strategies and teach writing within my subject matter more comprehensively. I’m still very much involved with this amazing group of educators.

I’m not a shy person who has trouble adjusting to new situations so I will be full of energy and excitement most of the time.  The emphasis of this institute is very new to me, and I look forward to learning from the instructors and participants.
 

Admiral Akers Elementary
NAS Lemoore, CA  93245

Computers, orchids and international travel are my hobbies and my favorite television program is International Mysteries Series. I have two dogs, Ridge and Mimi.  Both are rescues.

In the last three years winning the New Teacher of the Year for my school district was my most exciting professional experience.

I always strive to be the type of person my dogs think I am.


 

Thomas W. Pyle Middle School
Bethesda, MD 20817

.
 

Aerospace, bird watching and travel are my hobbies and the Boston Public is my favorite television show. I had a pup that was dropped on me-it was a coy-dog, (half Coyote-half dog), extremely intelligent and he could tilt his head back until it touched his shoulders?

My most exciting professional experience in the last three years was our NSBRI group attending the World Space Congress in October of last year.  It meets only once every ten years. NASA and JSC knocked themselves out providing activities and presentations tat were truly once in a lifetime. We greeted the crew of STS112 on their arrival back in Houston from ISS.

I am an active member of the AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) which is the professional aerospace society. I received their national educator award in 1997.  Part of the prize was a free trip for two to Washington, D.C. and a presentation to the conference attendees at a black-tie event. My Daddy invented the pop-open biscuit can, the oil can, the Pringles can, aluminum pie pan and foil Christmas wrap. I am the sixth generation granddaughter of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Nelson, Jr.
 

Moore County Middle School
Lynchburg, TN 37355

Aviation and travel are my hobbies.  I don’t really have a favorite television program.

Although I could name events/credentials that are rewarding to receive, the most exciting professional experience remains as the day-to-day interaction with students and colleagues.




 

Big Bear High School
Big Bear City, CA 92314

This is my 22"d year of teaching science. Currently I am the lead teacher in our "school within a school" half-day Math/Science Center program at Lakeshore High School. In the past few years I have taught Honors Freshmen Biology, and AP Biology, and Human
Anatomy and Physiology classes to juniors and seniors. I enjoy my freshmen for their wild youthful enthusiasm and willingness to try anything I give them-and I enjoy my juniors and seniors for their wit and humor and willingness to try anything I give them!
But, for all of my students, the real joy for me is to see them take ownership of their intellect and to realize how intelligent they really are.

I think I came to my love of science quite naturally as I was raised "in the country". My parents' favorite saying was "Go play outside". How fortunate for us! My brother and I roamed the fields, the woods and the swamp and chased butterflies, watched birds and squirrels and woodchucks, captured tadpoles and hauled home interesting rocks. My wonder and fascination with DNA, genetics and biotechnology came somewhat later as the field was developing during my early teaching years. My brother Mark, my younger sister, Laurie, and I all entered science related fields.

My husband Fred is an Athletic Director. We have two daughters, Rachael and Laura, who seem to have grown up in the blink of an eye. Rachael is a freshman in college, and Laura is a freshman in high school. Our favorite past time is watching Red Wings Hockey, watching our daughters compete in track, cross-country and basketball, and taking crazy family vacations that usually involve camping and some kind of outdoor adventure such as kayaking, rafting, and/or hiking. I also enjoy reading, fossil hunting and learning from enthusiastic and knowledgeable people. I am delighted to be a "Woodie".

Lakeshore High School
Sterensville, MI 49127

December 2003 will mark my 10th professional educator anniversary: one year teaching 8th grade language arts at the site which birthed my intrigue of all things marine and nine years teaching high school English and science in Oregon's Willamette valley. My early college studies in Nevada and Oregon were interrupted by marriage and two children, then a third child; a two-spurt reentry to acquiring my degree was marked by two focal points: premedical sciences and then literature and writing. I ultimately earned a degree in English while also acquiring teaching licensure in biology and health. I've taught at Dallas High School just west of Oregon's state capital, Salem, for eight years; during the last six years I have straddled two departments on campus: science and English. Teaching in both content areas has satisfied my innate curiosity and love of language play and precision. My six year stint teaching sophomore biology was modified four years ago when the English component of my assignment presented an opportunity to teach creative writing and assume duties as yearbook adviser. Each summer I usually journey with my yearbook editors to the University of Puget Sound for yearbook camp--that is, if I don't have some intriguing summer science workshop/internship or class happening.

Since volunteering at the Oregon Coast Aquarium the fall of 1995, I've hunted for unique learning environments which also provided summer outdoor adventures. The summer of 1996 found me living in my backpacking tent as a volunteer naturalist at Beverly Beach State Park on weekends and working weekdays as a visitor assistant at the aquarium, routinely monitoring guests' responses to Keiko's antics during his rehabilitation stay in Newport. I meandered the aquarium's trails and exhibits for three summers while completing my masters degree in education at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, which is also where I and my lemur-looking cat Orpheus abide. Another summer I enjoyed a full-time Oregon Teacher on Special Assignment forestry internship during which I hiked numerous areas of Oregon's coastal conifer forests and learned much about the state's forestry plan and silviculture practices. Last summer I traveled out of the Pacific Northwest for the first time in my life when I was awarded a scholarship to attend the AP Biology Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I thoroughly enjoyed the first leg of preparing to teach Dallas High's first AP Biology class as well as visiting several inspiring and breathtaking national monuments and Native American ruins in New Mexico's deserts. Following this adventure, I wrapped up the summer with a biotechnology class-southern Oregon camping excursion and then an intensive marine invertebrate course
at Newport's Hatfield Marine Science Center.

Dallas High School
Dallas, OR 97338

Gardening, crafts and needlework are my hobbies and my favorite television shows are CSI, Friends, Without a Trace and Law and Order. I have three cats; Travis Andrew, (love slut), Sarah Louise, (diva), and Callie Beth, (snob) and one dog, Nellie Estelle, (totally out of control).

In the last three years my most exciting professional experience was creating a blended instruction lesson with the 9th grade technology classes and my Biology II classes.  The topic was Food Biotechnology and we did labs on DNA Extraction, Gel Electrophoresis and Transformation.



 

Leonardtown High School
Leanardtown, MD 20650

Scrap-booking, quilting and the outdoors are my hobbies. The Sopranos is my favorite television show. Nash is my Labrador Retriever; he’s always wagging and table clearing with his tail.

My most exciting professional experience in the last three years was a summer research program for teachers at Southwestern Medical Center in dallas, Texas. It was exciting because I became part of a research team that published their work and I particularly enjoyed the collaboration with those professionals!

One week before boarding the plane to New Jersey I will be visiting Orlando, Florida to attend a conference for nationally recognized educational leadership schools.  My high school was awarded this honor in the fall of 2002 and we are all very proud! Leaders within our high school were chosen by our principal to attend and I had the honor of being one of the 10 chosen! Disney, here I come! And I love Shamu!!
 

Mansfield High School
Arlington, TX  76001

My hobbies are reading, cooking and geocaching and my favorite television program is Jeopardy.  Jackson, (as in Jackson Browne), my chocolate Lab is so loyal.

Visiting the American Southwest, especially the Grand Canyon has been my most exciting professional experience in the last three years. It’s still hard to imagine the geologic record that is contained within the layers of the Grand Canyon.

In January, I spent a night on Mt. Washington, at the weather observatory experiencing some of the world’s worst weather conditions as a participant in an edu-trip.

 

Moultonborough Academy
Moultonborough, NH 03254

My hobbies are swimming, diving and scuba diving and my favorite television program is Discovery Channel. I have two Cockatiels named Josh and Shorty. They both whistle popular tunes and enjoy their daily showers.

My most exciting professional experience in the last three years was after teaching about the Challenger and Columbia tragedies I shared with my students that I was applying for the Educator Astronaut Program. In stunned silence, the entire class stood up, surrounded me and gave me a giant group hug. Each child wished me “Good Luck” and said that they would pray for my safe return from the International Space Station back to earth.  I’ve never felt such caring and compassion from my students before.

During the summer of 2002 I attained a Fellowship in the National Space Biomedical Research Institute through Texas A&M University funded by NASA.

 

Irwin Altman Middle School 172
Floral Park, NY  11004

Cycling, reading, my motorcycle, photography and ultimate are my hobbies. Who’s Line is it Anyway? and C.S.I. are my favorite television shows.

In the last three years my most exciting professional experience was attending CIBT in Ithaca.  It was a blast! Great new  ideas were exposed and explored.  Made connections with dedicated teachers.

In 1998 I lived with a beekeeper in Venezuela for a summer.  I traveled over 6,000 km by motorcycle from Caracas to Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
I have a 22 month-old son Niko who is lots of fun to be with.  My wife, Lauren, teaches with me at S.A.S.



 

Singapore American School
Singapore

I am a third generation teacher in my family, but I came into teaching through a "back door". I graduated from Texas A&M University at Galveston with a degree in Marine Biology. Afterward I worked as a marine mammal trainer of dolphins and sea lions for a regional oceanarium. In addition to performing all the zookeeping and vet duties, we performed seven shows a day, in all seasons. One of the sessions involved "teaching" the audience about training
techniques and Tursiops truncatus. This was my favorite part of the day.

I married and moved inland and took a job with a computer firm
that sold Apple and IBM compatible "clones". I traveled around South Texas selling and supporting business personal computers, so I learned a lot about the business world. In a way, I was still teaching new users how to operate the equipment and use the software. When I realized how unhappy I was to be away from Biology and learning, I enrolled in a local college and became certified to teach Science in 1988. Since then I've taught Physics, Chemistry, Physical Science, Anatomy, Environmental Science, Biology and Advanced Placement Biology for both special education, regular and honors students. My favorite classes are those in the Life Sciences and I love teaching in small, rural towns.
This is my fifteen year teaching high school. 

Teaching has provided me with marvelous opportunities to travel while learning. I have attended Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ for Advanced Placement training. I brought eight students to NASA to participate in the Texas Fly High program in which we boarded the "Vomit Comet" with our experiment. I have simulated "space station" construction in full S.C.U.B.A. gear from the bottom of a swimming pool_ I have been. on a real dinosaur dig and explored the entire wetland Gulf Coast of Texas from Brownsville to Galveston. Through the support of the Texas Regional Collaborative for Excellence in Science Teaching, I have more than 350 professional development hours and been named a Science Teacher Mentor by the Texas Education Agency.

Industrial High School
Vanderbilt, TX 77991

I was destined to become a teacher.  From the time I was young, I loved to play “school”.  As an only child, when neighborhood children were unavailable, dolls and stuffed animals were “lucky” enough to be my students.  Then, along came my middle school science teacher who convinced me that not only was science the most fun class to be in, but that it must be even more fun to teach!

At that point the journey began. I graduated from Pfeiffer College with a bachelor’s in Middle Grades Science Education.  I was also accepted into the Lockheed Martin Master’s Program for my master’s in Middle Grades Science and Mathematics Education. This is my fifteenth year of teaching middle school science. I have taught mostly seventh grade life science, but also teach eighth grade physical science.  I am also certified in mathematics, so sometimes have an additional class in that area. For the past three years I have had the privilege (and challenge) of teaching science to the seventh and eighth grade gifted students.  Talk about keeping me on my toes-their minds move at light speed (so do their mouths at times)!

I have taught courses for teachers within my school and county in both computer use and in teaching science using hands-on activities.  I was chosen Teacher of the Month in three of the schools in which I have taught and Teacher of the Year at one school. But, by far, the most special awards I have received are four for Who’s Who Among American Teachers since the nominations come from the students themselves. I am always thrilled to realize that I touch students’ lives in this way.

During the school year, there is not much time for other activities, but when I do have the chance, I enjoy reading, cross stitch, music in almost any form, hanging out with friends and playing with my kittens.

I am really looking forward to taking part in this program because I have always loved teaching genetics. I have taken several in-service courses in this area, but look forward to getting new ideas and learning from the experts! I know this will be a challenge, but can’t wait to take it on.

Teague Middle School
Altamonte Springs, FL  32808