Chris Murray .:.  Go Up 
Physics Page
| About This Page | Resume | Brief Autobiography
Graduation Speech 04 | Alumni Letters: 06


Chris Murray has an incredibly fun and rewarding job, and the cutest and most wonderful family ever.
Proof>

They keep him so busy that generally he does not have time to finish websites about himself.

Life is good.


Resume

Education
MS in Curriculum and Instruction 
Portland State University 
	1999
BS in Physical Science Teaching 
University of Minnesota
	1990
BA in Physics and Computer Science 
Macalester College
	1985

Work Experience
Physics Teacher
Tigard-Tualatin School District
	Fall 1991-Present 
	Built a Physics program from 2 classes to 8.  Designed and developed a very useful web page to teach physics. (tuhsphysics.ttsd.k12.or.us)  I currently promote a research program with my IB physics students, and teach 3 first year IB courses, 1 second year course, and 2 general courses in physics.
DIME Team advisor
NASA Glenn Research Center
	April 2005
	Selected as one of four teams in the country to attend DIME days
Research Assistant
Partners in Science 
	Summers 1996 and 1997
	Investigated chaotic dynamics of nucleate boiling with Dr. Semura of Portland State University.  My work was later published in the proceedings of the 1998 Partners in Science convention.
Science Teacher
Red School House
	Fall 1990-Spring 1991
Physics Teacher
Breck School 
	Fall 1985-Spring 1988

Skills and Interests
Computer programming
Back country skiing
Hiking
Sea kayaking
Stained glass

(But mostly I just play with my kids - born '95 and '97)



 

Autobiography

        I was a great writer once. My writings had a distinct Hardy Boys action thread to them and stretched from the top of Mrs. Turnquist's front window to the bottom three times or more. (Written on the wide lined paper that you use in first grade). I wrote for the fame. My classmates would gather around and read each story I wrote strung out along the pasted together pages like runners in a race. 

        In Junior High I learned to do flame tests for hydrogen gas and glowing splint tests for oxygen gas, both of which I produced in dangerous quantities in my parent's basement. I also attempted to repair my mother's typewriter along about this time, but to my horror; all the keys went sproing when I removed the top cover. They never were the same again. 

        I have always liked teachers (most of them) and school, but my path to a teaching career did not follow any well-laid-out course. At the end of college I was working as a wilderness trip leader when the principal of Breck High School called me. I interviewed, was hired, and arrived at the high school a day before classes began. My teacher training consisted of Lois Fruen (once and future king of NSTA) showing me how to use the copier. I planned a lesson for the next day, brought the textbook home to read that night, and went out and bought a suit coat to wear. I have loved teaching ever since.






About this Web page:

This page does not yet contain the personal and largely unedited opinions of the instructor some of which you may find offensive, and none of which would be necessarily the opinions or policies of the School or District, even though they should be. Read at your own risk!
Top of the Page