About
I was raised in southern California
for most of my life and attended college at the University of California, San
Diego—where I majored in Biochemistry and met my husband. After starting a
family and living in Chicago for about two years, my husband and I chose to
settle our family here in the Greater Seattle area because the lifestyle,
culture, and the multicultural mindset of this metropolis best match what we
grew up with in California. A nomadic childhood and relocating sporadically until about four years ago more times than I can count on the fingers of both hands makes me
truly appreciate the tranquility of living life locally—enjoying the great
outdoors and culture that Seattle has to offer. Some activities I enjoy include
reading, cooking, weightlifting, and taking long hikes and building things with my two little
children and husband.
Interest and Experience in Education
I finally decided to become a
teacher when I realized I had always been teaching in some capacity inside and
outside of school and that it was a constant in my life that I clearly
gravitated toward and enjoyed. I have taught and tutored in various capacities
since even before high school, but my recent experience with shadowing teachers
really solidified my decision to teach. Glimpses of positive student-teacher
interaction such as student excitement from quiz games and the skill the
teachers displayed at directing classroom learning gave me the final push
toward making the decision to become a high school science and math teacher.
The teachers I observed were
skillful classroom managers in spite of some challenging student behavior. I
find this to be especially admirable because my opinion is that effective
teachers are essentially leaders that can lead groups of students toward
accomplishing their learning goals. My goal as a new teacher is to quickly
become an effective leader for my students and help them empower themselves
with the value of knowledge and confidence derived from achieving academic
goals.
My experience in teaching includes
spiritual mentorship of younger children for 11 years in the local Vietnamese
Eucharistic Youth Group, tutoring students with learning disabilities at a community
college, and talking with kids about the myriad of
interesting sea creatures at the local aquarium during my time in college.
My endorsement is in Secondary
Biology. I find the technical and factual nature of the subject appealing, and
Biology is like a complex chronicle I enjoy reading, learning, and
teaching to kids of all ages. I enjoy teaching
kids of all ages and have no especial preference for any grade level. But, I
would like to help out with the current critical need for STEM educators in
high schools by teaching high school Biology. Additionally, I hope to acquire
endorsements for Earth & Physical Science, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Special Education in the future. I hope to diversify and meaningfully reach out to all type of learners and instill in them a love for learning.
