I lecture on general topics in Biology and Chemistry for undergraduate students. I coordinate with my teachers assistant and develop lecture material for each class.

EDUCATION | PhD. In Cell Biology

HOW TO GET STARTED | I would say try it out and get experience because you will know if you like it right away. You can try it in the form of mentoring or tutoring, but first hand experience can really give you great insight into the field. Always volunteer your time because it will help you later on to get a paid position. I would also recommend visiting your alumni website because there are great resources there.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | Patience, flexibility, fearlessness

how I got started | I was a junior in college when I started to realize how much I wanted to be a teacher. I volunteered to be a teachers assistant in a Chemistry class. For two years I led discussion sessions, wrote quizzes and helped the teacher. I spent about five hours a week teaching and I really enjoyed interacting with the students. I got comfortable in front of the blackboard and lost my stage fright. It was a lot of fun. As a graduate student I taught a cell biology class and enjoyed that as well. After graduating I went into government related science, but always wanted to go back to teaching. I had the opportunity through a friend to start teaching at San Francisco State and she set me up with the interview. After that I started to teach and tried to take on more classes.

why this job?| I love seeing people get excited about science and seeing my students excel. I had really great teachers growing up and I know how much it matters to be able to have fun with the subjects you are learning. Those teachers have inspired me.

why I love this job!| Intellectually challenging, interactive, academic

my typical day| Before classes, I listen to old lectures on audio files and read text that I’m not familiar with. I try to make short hand note card of things I wanted to talk about and details that might slip my mind. I review the lectures and talk them through aloud. Then I go to class and perform the lecture and make sure I can get the students to interact and ask questions.

what they are | I think the challenges are having a broad range of topics for a wide spread of students. You have to find the balance where the material is difficult, but no one is slipping through the cracks. Also, it can be an art to make the lecture flow and to cover all the material at hand.

all about growth | There is always a need for teachers. Opportunities are great in larger schools. If you want to teach you absolutely can, but the challenge is to find a long-term position at a school.

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