Category: About Us
Tara Eppinger is excited by the ways technology and online resources can change the way students learn and help them become better thinkers. She teaches high school biology and chemistry at Durham Academy in North Carolina. “Being able to watch biological or chemical processes occur—versus seeing static images in a textbook,” she says, “allows for a much richer and connected understanding of concepts,” she explains.
“Mrs. Bentley, how are you so smart?,” asked one of the kindergarten students in Laura Bentley’s class. Although she was embarrassed by the adoring question from this five-year-old, she knew that she was instilling a love of learning in her students.
Michael Lim loves literature that’s inspiring. “What better way to enjoy meaningful texts than to teach them?” he thought. So he earned his college degree in English education. However, when he graduated there were no jobs available. Thankfully, he also had a “few years of pre-med classes,” so he put them to good use and became a long-term substitute chemistry teacher. Michael went on to pass the chemistry certification exam, and has been teaching 10th, 11th, and 12th grade chemistry for twelve years.
Kristina Koster first became interested in teaching as a tutor for the TRIO Upward Bound program while in junior college. The program helps low-income, first-generation college-bound students get into and succeed in college by providing free afterschool tutoring, Saturday educational workshops, and college visits. Kristina recalls, “I was able to see that I could combine my love for helping people with my love for science.”
As a child, Emerlyn Gatchalian was always the teacher: “I’d always get the role of teacher whenever I had playtime with my friends.”
She began her formal teaching career in the Philippines, where a passionate chemistry teacher, who sometimes wore a magician hat and waved a fairy wand, inspired her love for teaching science. “She made learning so exciting and fun,” Emerlyn says. In 2005, after a decade teaching in the Philippines, Emerlyn came to the U.S., but, “Teaching here was so different.” Coming from a more disciplined classroom tradition, she wasn’t used to class management issues. So she sought additional training and learned to implement new classroom routines and policies.
Thomas Troy’s dream vacation includes a trip to the Arctic “to witness rapid climate change,” but the best adventure he’s ever had was much closer to the equator. He and his family spent five weeks on a homestay in Costa Rica where they took classes to learn Spanish, which were “both rigorous and rewarding.” While his family “took advantage of opportunities to get to know as many Costa Ricans (or Ticos) as possible, such as local clerks, waiters, and teachers,” they also found time to go snorkeling, bird watching, and swimming.
Mason Converse admits that he gets a fair number of “funny looks” when he introduces himself at conferences. He’s both a science teacher and the head football coach at Harper Creek High School, which comes as a surprise to a number of people.
Before turning to teaching 9-11th grade, Toni Kaui spent ten years as an architect designing houses for wealthy homeowners. It did not inspire her. “I switched careers because I was tired of all the wasted resources,” she explains. Teaching had “more rewarding outcomes.” For her and for her students.
Alison Pflanz is excited by the abundance of different educational technology resources available online. She exclaims, “There is so much room for growth and learning for teachers and students to make each school day the best it possibly can be!”
The Akers School is on the relatively remote Lemoore Naval Air Station located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, an important agricultural region. Karla Orosco has been teaching 7th grade integrated science classes and electives for 18 years to Akers students who come from all over the U.S., as well as all over the world—Japan, Guam, the Philippines, and European bases.