What got you into teaching?

"I originally got my undergraduate degree in Biology and then went to grad school to do research. I was doing field research studying birds in the grasslands in Kansas. I was working with a landscape ecologist, which I was super interested in, and I learned a lot about big-picture stuff. I enjoyed this work, but it was a lot of sitting behind a computer and doing statistics, and I felt like the atmosphere and working in a research university weren’t for me. 

As part of my graduate program, I had to teach undergraduate students, which I really liked doing. Halfway through my program, I started shadowing teachers at the local high school. I used to be a camp counselor as well, so I started to think maybe I would like teaching. I shadowed and then finished my master's. After that, I immediately went back and got my teaching credentials. It wasn’t my original plan, but it is something I enjoy.

Teaching is also cool because I love learning and so I still get to do a lot of that. It's fun to teach kids about stuff that I think is cool and exciting."

How long have you been teaching?

"This is my 18^th year teaching and my 11^th year at Forest Ridge. Prior to this, I was in San Jose and I taught at another all-girls' Catholic school there. I came to Forest Ridge because I was an alum of the school and I felt ready to move back to the Pacific Northwest. This was my ideal place and there happened to be an opening."

What courses are you teaching this school year?

"Bio 1, Bio 2, Neuroscience, and I am also teaching several X-Bin classes including Science Fair Kickstarter, MythBusters, and Food Matters."

What things about the Mod Schedule excite you?

"It’s fun to see the kids every day. In my teaching career, I have never had a schedule where I get to have that. There is that continuity of learning and being able to pick up things the next day. In science classes, it's nice for our labs. Being able to wait 24 hours is ideal for the lab itself. 

I think only having to focus on three major classes at a time is great instead of juggling seven different classes at a time. There is still the same amount of homework, but you are not having to shift gears so many times. I think it will be nice to have an entirely new schedule after 6 weeks. That will be refreshing for everybody."

What does being the Academic Dean entail and how is that different from the standard teaching role? 

"The teaching part is the same, but I just teach fewer classes, about two thirds of the average teacher. Scheduling is the major thing I do as the Academic Dean, so building the master schedule and then all of the student schedules. I also make sure the seniors have their graduation requirements in order and students moving through the Upper School also have their graduation requirements. I also work with students on the Endorsement Pathways track. Being the Academic Dean also has me doing a lot of odd jobs."

How do you go about creating so many schedules for students?

"It’s challenging because we are a smaller school but we offer so many classes. A lot of it is dependent on math and international language. Those are the most immovable parts of the schedule, so I have to figure out what combination of kids and classes go together. I branch out from there. 

In the late winter, after we publish the course catalog, students have a chance to say what they want to take. I use those numbers to build the schedule. Really popular classes get more than one section. I build each student's schedule by hand. I look at what they want to take and try to cater to what they want. I think it is fun to build the schedules because I get to know our students, what their interests are, and what they want to learn during their time here at Forest Ridge. A lot of the students I know just from working with them on their schedules."

Do you have any favorite moments from your career as a teacher?

"I like doing student travel, so it’s great that we have been able to bring that back in a way that teachers can propose trips. In my last school, I also did a lot of travel and one of my favorite things is the learning that happens when you are out somewhere. Last year we went to Port Townsend for Seas of the Day. It is fun to take students outside their comfort zone and expose them to something different and potential careers they haven’t considered before. 

Other trips I have gone on were to South Africa to study hyenas, to Peru to travel on an Amazon riverboat, and to Brazil. I also went to Alaska twice with Forest Ridge. I also led a trip to Arizona to study forest owls. That trip was so cold and the research we did was at night in the desert. We would play owl sounds on speakers to try and call them in. It was super fun! I also did a Guatemala trip with Forest Ridge, and this year we are proposing a global health trip to Greece. 

I also love the classroom time and doing labs with the kids. I like it when there is a bit of a challenge for them or unexpected results of a lab because they don’t know what is going to happen. I also like seeing when they have to rethink what is going on when it comes to the scientific principles of that lab. Yesterday was a good example of that. We were trying to graph some data and the students felt like it was impossible. I told them to give it a chance and stick with me. Then when they finally understand the concept, I like seeing that ah-ha moment."

What is your favorite Forest Ridge tradition or memory?

"As an alum, I would say congé. Even as a teacher I still enjoy this day especially if it is a well-planned congé and the students don’t know it's coming. It’s a tradition that is so unique to Sacred Heart schools. It’s hard to explain the joy of congé to those who have not experienced it."

What do you like to do when you are not teaching at Forest Ridge? 

"I sing in a choir. I have a lot of animals including horses that I ride. I trail run and, in the winter, I ski. In the summer I backpack. I also really like to cook."