I entered the chemistry teaching field after earning my B.S. degree in Genetics from the University of California at Davis and served a farming community near Vandenberg Air Force Base in California until my second pregnancy resulted in twins. After my youngest daughters were born, we moved to Australia and then to Virginia to follow my husband's career while I stayed home with our children. I returned to teaching when my youngest daughters entered first grade, but found that our expectations differed. When the American Chemical Society offered me a job as a Senior Education Associate working with the Committee on Professional Training, I began writing, conducting surveys, and helping department chairs in undergraduate chemistry parade their programs across a national stage. It was exciting work and I adored the people I met, but my oldest daughter developed extensive medical issues and in February 2011, I left my position to support my family. My oldest daughter is entering high school next fall after a tumultuous middle school experience, and I believe she is now firmly set on the path to success. Our younger daughters have skipped a year in math and settled nicely into extended coursework in sixth grade. In the year that I have been at home, all three girls have also qualified for the gifted program in mathematics.
I excel at teaching stoichiometry, balancing equations, and helping students develop an understanding of the kinetic molecular theory. I have twelve years of chemistry teaching experience in both California and Virginia. My students averaged 97% and 98% on the Virginia Chemistry Standards of Learning Exam.
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