• Always think SAFETY!
• Learn chemical principles
• Learn about and apply the scientific method
• Connect ideas to the real world
• Gain scientific literacy
• Work together with peers
• Learn about science careers
• Have fun!!!

"The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited."

This quote hangs above my desk — a constant reminder of why I entered the teaching profession. It is an educational philosophy as well as a way of life. To learn not because you are forced to, but because you desire and burn to discover what the universe has to offer.

Science is a journey into the unknown, a true process of discovery. It helps us to see the world in a new way and answer the how and why questions of the universe. Chemistry, by its very nature, is the central science. It is amazing how everything fits together and interacts. Our daily lives may lead to many questions about the materials around us: What are their compositions and properties? How do they interact with us and their environment? How, when, and why do they undergo change? Chemistry provides us with answers to these questions and simplifies the complex systems of life.

I would like my students to become motivated, confident, active learners who are always asking questions about how the science they learn in the classroom relates to the world around them. I hope to facilitate in my students an understanding of the core concepts of chemistry. Then, through the use of hands-on experimentations, classroom demonstrations, cooperative learning, and the incorporation of real world applications, I hope to enhance and deepen my students' understanding of chemical principles, and on a larger scale, their understanding of the universe they live in.

I believe that learning science needs to be a hands-on process. Students need to have supervised independence and freedom to explore and inquire through the use of the scientific method. I like to use experiments that can stimulate my students to think and learn on their own instead of labs that are written like a cookbook. In place of step-by-step procedures, the students will have some freedom to explore their own ideas. These inquiry based teaching methods help instill an appreciation for science and allow me to assess my students on more higher order thinking skills. I hope to assess true understanding and the ability to apply this to a new situation.

I also believe that relating chemical principles to real world application continues to develop motivation, understanding, and interest. Current science issues like acid rain, global warming, ozone depletion, and health/nutrition concerns can all be related to chemistry. I would like to intertwine current issues with the curriculum and give my students the opportunity to explore the connections between issues they see and hear about and the topics that they are currently studying. Linking topics from chemistry to other disciplines, stressing scientific literacy, and making connections to the real world helps to prepare students to be knowledgeable citizens who are capable of making informed decisions about scientific and technological issues.

Research shows that an effort is needed to improve academic performance in the science classroom for ethnic minorities. In addition, sex role stereotypes continue to discourage females from exploring their interests in science. I feel that the teaching techniques mentioned above can help to minimize these inequalities. I believe that every mind is a fire to be ignited — many famous chemists and leading researchers in the fields of science come from all different backgrounds and include women as well as men.