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)
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.
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!
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