I Went to Wellesley College where I majored in Geology and did my thesis work on Boston are sedimentary rock sequences under Meg Thompson.
After college I worked and lived at the Natick Community Farm as the education program coordinater and farm teacher. During this time I also did my student teaching at Framingham High School and worked in a bakery.
I have been teaching earth science for 4 years at WHS.
Home town: Medford, Lexington MA
Current Residence: Allston, MA
Age: Older than you...when Green Day hit the scene I was a little too young to go to the concert but old enough to really want to!
Pet: Hetzel the turtle
Childhood Dream: Grow up to be a rabbit and live in the back yard with Ms. White (my bunny)
Many of you asked why I love earth science or why I chose to teach in the first place. I have always loved the natural world and collecting things. I had not always loved science. I am not sure I would have passed had I not had good old Becky Frymer to encourage me to pass in my lab notebook on time...I was more interested in art and english.
When I got to college I liked the idea of outdoor lab work and after travelling cross country for 3 months with a friend, visiting 21 national parks along the way I was in love with the study of geology. I also knew that I enjoyed being around kids and that I loved everything creative, teaching was a natural offshoot of those interests!
Favorite color: varies...right now it is "burnt orange"
favorite donut: chocolate but I don't really like sweets
Favorite bagel: Everything bagel with gardent veggie cream cheese!
Favorite food: Thai curry, kale...everything, I love to cook!
Favorite music: for concerts I like to go to lots of guitar/singer combos like Martin Sexton and Rodrigo y Gabriella, but for radio stations I listen to a variety like Mix 98.5, WBOS 92.9, WZLX 100.7... I also LOVE blues music...especially on Sundays when I grade papers all day.
Favorite Earth Science Topic: Lots...perhaps our place in the universe?
Favorite celebs: I'm a big "US weekly" reader and I guess I like to dislike most celebs...I favorite celebs to dislike are Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson... like many people!
Many of you asked if I had any hobbies or interests outside of teaching. Of course!
Like many of you, I love spending time with my family and friends, especially if I can be outside like apple picking in VT, cycling, or camping. I also paint, cook and garden. I have traveled extensively in the western U.S. and have been to central america, northern Africa, and Europe. I am dying to go to India and Nepal...
paper, plastic, or cloth shopping bags: Reusable cloth!
names for my kids: Wyoming, James, Jake, Seth ...??
college dorms: Freeman, Severence, Lake House
special hidden talent: Can draw a map of the world accurately from memory in under 5 minutes, can throw a mean spiral
worst teacher and why: My 12th grade history elective teacher because he wasted our time and babied us when I was really interested in learning about the topics of the course (racism and holocaust)
pet peeves: repeated noises, radio talk/commercials, students not reading directions/requirements, negativity/whining/helplessness, technology glitches, wasting time
do i like the environment: yes, I call it home.
Clubs I advise: GreenTeam, Varsity Recycling, Frisbee (sort of)
Favorite Style of Teaching? Project learning with teacher support/Discovery learning
Technology geared? yes, I am technology geared because it is such a useful tool for gathering and analyzing data as well as presenting findings and communicating
daily routine? totally varies...usually a mixture of direct teacher instruction using powerpoint or a handout, group work of some sort, and discussion/question and answer
do I do things logically? hmmm...logically according to whom? I spend a lot of time planning my curriculum and ordering what I do so that it all makes sense...is that logical?
does my personal opinion of a student influence participation grade? my opinion as a person about a student as a person does not matter in the least for grades; however my observations as a teacher as to how that student is doing in the student skills areas is graded.
do i consider myself a tough grader? Yes, I do and so do my students. However, I am very fair about outlining requirements and giving study guides.If done well, grades are very effective feedback for students of how they can improve and what they have mastered.
How many projects and tests will we have a quarter? on average 2 bigger projects per quarter. There are a few more big projects than big tests, but there are several small quizzes.
Are tests hard? Yes, tests are hard, but if you stick to the "program" and try your hardest you will be prepared for them.
Are there fun activities?Yes, lots of fun activities! Fun like crushing cans with the power of the air and designing a board game related to geography not fun like 6 flags :)
Is there Extra Help? Yes, extra help is offered each Monday after school in room 193 for an hour to who ever drops in. Other times if you check my schedule and make and appointment with me, especially during my study hall or Mezz duty.
Are jokes ok during class? NO...haha...just joking, Yes!
How long are tests? a full period
Are we learning about space? yes, solar system this fall, beyond solar system this spring
xtra credit? check the handout on grading in unit 0, it discusses extra credit
number of tests per term? 2
what are tests and quizzes like and timing method? quizzes are usually 5 questions and often "pop" style, fairly straight forward check-in style questions. Unit tests are full period and are designed to really measure how well you have accomplished the learning goals and developed the skills outlined for the unit. The test is designed to take the full period with some students finishing 10 minutes early and some wishing they had 5 minutes extra, best plan is to study hard so that you spend less time thinking about each question. Some multiple choice, some short answers, some straight forward content/vocab questions others require analysis and synthesis of information learned...usage in new situations.
open book tests or quizzes? not yet...but we can discuss if you think this is valuable.
do we have lots of projects or is our main grade made of tests/hw? check your handout on grades from unit 0 for % of grade info; projects, tests and hw are all important.
do we write essays? it has happened at least once each of the last 3 years...
Do we have much freedom during class? compared to middle school? YES. Often I will give you an assignment through which your learning will occur and you work your way through it while I walk around and answer questions. In the spring you will have freedom to pursue a research project of your choice during class time. That said, I abhor wasted time and there will be very little of it!
What is the usual workload? hard to estimate time-wise because people work at such different paces but somewhere between 4-8 hours a week.
Strict about deadlines? Absolutely. It is the only way to be fair to everyone, we are all busy. That said, I am flexible if there is a good reason and you come discuss an extension ahead of time with me.
Changing units often? 2-3 units a quarter