Chemistry Overview

	B.S. - Chemistry, University of Utah M.S. - Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University
	Chemical Education Teacher at the High School Level
	"I think it's important to have some real life experience before you become a teacher."

"I teach at Tuba City High School in Northern Arizona on the Navajo Reservation. For me, teaching is about understanding and being understood. You must have a lot of patience. Most of my students are in 10th through 12th grades, and I instruct them in lectures, chemistry labs, and in a variety of other activities, such as field trips and classroom demonstrations. Helping students grow, develop, and seek their potential is the most inspiring part of my work. In the summer, I avoid stagnating by doing research. I believe teaching is more than just time in the classroom conveying information. It's being part of this thing we call chemistry.

When I was in high school, I used a slide rule. Today, I'm teaching kids to do complex mathematical functions on computers and on graphing calculators. The chemistry itself is similar, but the tools we use to study it are entirely different and change with the fast-paced introduction of new technology.

I was in the military for 14 years, working as a chemist and eventually as a brigade chemical officer. The army provided the scholarships for my education and I did a good deal of volunteer and contract teaching while I served in the military. But I always planned on eventually going into teaching. I think it's important to have some real life experience before you become a teacher. That way you bring more maturity and more personal experience to the classroom."