I graduated with honors from Calif. State University, Hayward, with a BA degree in Music and a minor in Chemistry.
I taught for five years in the Brisbane School District as a classroom Music and Computer specialist. For both subjects I had to originate and design the district's curriculum. I taught all grade levels, K-8, as Brisbane is a very small district.
After leaving the Brisbane School District, I worked in industry for nearly twelve years at Adobe Systems. I worked for a few months as a phone technician answering tech support phone calls and researching software problems. I worked my way up as product specialist for typefaces, rasterizers, and drivers, and then became a Product Support Engineer. By the time I left Adobe, I was the Worldwide Product Support Manager for the Acrobat family of products.
From Adobe, I decided to try to use my skills in the financial arena as a Federally licensed Commodity Trading Advisor. I formed my own CTA company, but while my trading abilities were very good, I found that I had little interest in being a salesman, and spent most of my time educating people instead of selling to them.
I have now come back full-circle and am teaching 6th, 7th, & 8th grade science at Adelante School. In addition to teaching the curriculum, I intend to bring my considerable experience outside of academia into the classroom and teach in a real life, real world fashion.
I am extremely excited to be teaching at Adelante School this year, and specifically requested the assignment. I love Adelante's multicultural environment, parental involvement, professional staff, and outstanding management – there is no finer group anywhere of students to teach and people to work with.
I have been married for over 20 years and have three children attending school in the Redwood City School District.
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As a parent you work hard. You have a job to provide for your family, and you work to raise your children the best that you possibly can. You know that everyone has work to do in life.
Many things vie for your child's time: school, sports, music lessons, friends, religious activities, clubs, family & relatives. All of these things are important, but your child's work, or job, is to go to school and learn.
At school, children need to learn their course curriculum and how to get along with all kinds of different people. They need to learn how to be responsible and to do their school work.
Middle School students are still children, and they need your guidance so they can grow up. Make sure they understand the importance of school, and that just as you have to go to work five days a week, they have to go to their "job" too and do well at it.
You couldn't go to your job and not do your work, or be constantly late in the morning. What would happen if you always interrupted your boss or harassed other employees? You know what would happen – you would probably be fired!
School is no different from your job. Dedicated professionals are working in your child's classroom to help them grow and learn. If a child doesn't do their work or disrupts class at school, it would be just like you doing the same thing at your job! Your boss wouldn't stand for it, so why would a teaching professional?
Show your support for your child's work life by asking about how school is going. Look to see that homework is being brought home, finished on time, and returned to school. Go to Back-to-School night, parental conferences, and Open House. Volunteer to help on a field trip if you can.
Help your child get their work done and turn it in to class when it is due. Make sure they get enough sleep, which is crucial for middle school children whose bodies are changing. Be sure they get a good breakfast. Tell them you love them and show them that they are important to you (no matter what their grades), because that's what life is about. It will also help them to do their best when they go to work at their job at school.
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Special Note on 7th Grade
Science & Evolution
Part of the state curriculum for 7th grade science concerns Darwinian evolution. I realize that this is a controversial issue that has become politicized, and I want to treat it in a fair way without being political or trying to promote one world view over another.
I follow the philosophy of two-time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling, who said, "Science is the search for the truth."
Unfortunately much of scientific research in the United States today is not about the search for the truth, but about getting funding for research projects or promoting an agenda.
Both sides of the evolution controversy have an agenda to promote. We will look at the science that both sides of the evolution issue cite:
- Materialists, or Naturalists believe that all that exists in the universe is physical matter and energy, and that everything can be explained in terms of matter and enegy without the need for anything else.
- Others say that natural phenomina does not scientifically explain everything in the world. They look to the supernatural in God or a designer to explain some aspects of the universe.
I will treat both sides of the argument with respect, and let each student draw his or her own conclusion from the scientific evidence that both sides provide. I will teach with integrity and not promote one side over another, and grade each student fairly irrespective of where they personally come down on the issue.
Finally, the National Academy of Sciences says "All scientific knowledge is, in principle, subject to change as new evidence becomes available." We will look at the new scientific evidence available today on the internet so each student can make their own informed decision on this topic of origins.
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