As a professional teacher, I recognize that learning needs to be challenging but fun at the same time. I chose to teach ESE (intensive emotional/behavior difficulties) because I feel that I have the creativity and patience to encourage these students to engage. I believe students should be heavily involved, as in hands-on activities, field trips, and projects. I also recognize that all children have different learning styles and I treat it as a welcomed challenge to create and implement lessons. I feel that Teacher Quest will assist me in teaching students how to think outside the box, giving me new and exciting ideas which I can pass on to my students.

I am a life long learner who recently transitioned into the classroom from an entrepreneurial venture. I am working on my PhD in psychology. Before becoming a teacher, I worked in the environmental field as a remedial engineer cleaning up contaminated groundwater, soil, and air. I place significant value on staying current in these innovative energy resource advances in order to provide effective learning opportunities for my students.

I returned to college as an adult learner in 2001 to complete my Bachelor's Degree in Science Education, and I found my life experience to be a tremendous advantage in the classroom. I am certified to teach both Middle School Comprehensive Science and Biology, but I find myself teaching a wide variety of subject matter as I aim to prepare my students for high school. I look forward to new learning experiences and think that the Teacher Quest program will be an excellent way for me to sharpen my scientific thinking processes and broaden my knowledge of scientific work in the Tampa Bay area.

My educational background includes a Master of Information Systems Management degree and a Bachelor of Arts with honors in Languages. This is my first year teaching middle school. Prior to that, I taught computer networking courses to high school students and adults at Manatee Technical Institute for seven years. I am certified in the following areas: A+ and Network+, MCSE and Windows. I am someone who enjoys learning. I would like to improve myself as a teacher and tailor my curriculum to give my students real-world work experience.

I have 22 years of teaching experience in grades 6 - 12. I hold a B.S. degree in Industrial Arts/Technology and a M.S. degree in Technology Education. I love to learn and share that knowledge with my students. I have been honored locally and nationally for my teaching experience as Manatee Teacher of the Year Finalist, ITEA Program of the Year, EbD (Engineering by Design) Specialist, and others. I organized my school's TSA chapter which is one of the most successful programs in the state, winning 1st or 2nd place the last five years. I also have coached at many different levels in a variety of sports.

I am a very dedicated teacher and try to always keep in mind to do what is best for my students. I have a bachelor's degree in electronic engineering and worked as a technician for about 5 years after graduating. I transitioned into teaching with the belief that I had something to offer from an education perspective. I have realized that this was my calling. I am constantly looking for ways to improve teaching in my subject area and to help my fellow colleagues. I assist with teacher training and I am currently very involved in a curriculum development project with Hillsborough County Schools. I was named the Rookie Teacher of the Year in 2007.

As a teacher that has earned performance honors, I am always looking for opportunities to enhance my teaching skills that will benefit my students. I challenge my students each year to plan their future in the science field. Participating in the Tampa Bay Teacher Quest Program will give me the tools to do this. Prior to teaching, I worked in the Quality Assurance laboratory field in the manufacturing industry.

I am a self-motivated professional educator with a fantastic attitude and excellent interpersonal skills. I am eager to utilize my leadership ability to coach educators with the knowledge which I have developed and honed in the classroom. As a science resource teacher and coach, I have developed my interpersonal and communication skills. As a subject area leader and department head, I implement those skills in a leadership capacity. I was afforded a fantastic opportunity this year being selected to participate in the Teacher Quest Tampa Bay Program.

I feel that it is important to demonstrate to my students that I am a lifelong learner. I earned a scholarship and participated in Space Camp for Educators during the summer of 2006 which allowed me to bring so many exciting resources to my classroom. By participating in Teacher Quest, I will bring real-world science and math lessons to my students. I will share the skills I learn and lessons I develop with my peers. I think the Teacher Quest program will be a fantastic opportunity to learn new things while building a partnership with the community.

I have worked at Crystal Lake Middle School for five years where I currently serve as the science department chair. I believe students need hands-on experiences to learn. I enjoy creating and teaching lessons where students construct models to help them understand scientific concepts. Working at the Lakeland Electric Company will give me the opportunity to bring information about our local power plant and power grid back to my students, as well as professions that might interest them.

I am certified in math, science, language arts, geography, history, and technology education (engineering and architecture). I have taught school since 1993, coming from a professional football and coaching background. I am currently working as a math teacher at Memorial Middle School. My desire is to better equip myself to relate "real world" experiences into the classroom by working in the field and creating collaborations. I enjoy coaching football in the Tampa Bay Youth Football League for the Packers.

I have taught math at the secondary level for 19 years. After teaching in private schools for 10 years, I moved into the public school system in 2001, and have enjoyed the diversity and challenges presented by public schools. I would like to make first-hand connections between what I teach every day and what my students can do with the knowledge they are learning. During my years in the private school, I learned to make the most of limited resources. It is also my desire in the current economy to learn how industry is using technology to effectively serve their customers in down times.

I began teaching 8th grade integrated science in Ashville, Ohio in 2002, and in 2006 I moved to Florida. I currently teach 8th grade physical science, 8th grade AVID and am the AVID coordinator for my school, and I love my job! I also coach the girls' track team and and have won the Coaches' Distinguished Merit in Sportsmanship award for soccer. I am the Lead EDGE (new teacher) mentor at my school and I have hosted practicum students from St. Petersburg College. My classroom is also used as a demonstration classroom by Pinellas County Schools for teachers who need help understanding their craft.

As a 6th year teacher, I have taught a variety of courses in both high school and middle school. I have a degree in marine science and STEM education, and I serve on a committee for the School District of Hillsborough County creating content that will be part of a maritime curriculum offered to students in grades 6 - 12. This curriculum will infuse marine science content along with maritime career information, offering students hands-on learning and heighten awareness of careers in this field. My teaching honors include Hillsborough County's Science Teacher of the Year, 2008 - 2009, NASA Endeavor Teaching Certificate Project in STEM Education fellowship recipient, and United States Presidential Award of Excellence in Science Teaching nominee.

I applied to the Teacher Quest Tampa Bay Program to be able to align my curriculum with skills that are most relevant to the future workplace of my students. I am always looking for ways to improve my curriculum, and I look forward to the opportunity to work in the field to attain new skills and insights that I can pass on to my students and other teachers. I am a National Board Certified science teacher and was awarded a grant from the Pinellas County Educational Foundation in 2007 and 2008, as well as the GTE Gift Grant for Science and Mathematics in 1993. In 1994 I was the Pinellas County Middle School Mainstreaming Teacher of the Year.

I am a beginning teacher. I applied to the Teaching Quest Tampa Bay Program to expand my knowledge in the project management field with the goal of bringing that information back to my classes, along with my other real-world knowledge, to excite my students about math and science. I would like to show students that program management is a vital part of the STEM field, and knowledge of both business and STEM processes are used in that type of a position. My curriculum would include planning, budgeting, and execution of a project that they would be able to see implemented at the school or in the neighborhood.

I am in my eighth year of teaching middle school mathematics in Pinellas County. During this time I have earned a Master's degree in mathematics and science education, dedicate my time to mentoring teachers of mathematics and technology, and strive to meet the needs of all learners. To improve learning experiences, I continuously seek opportunities to further my knowledge in mathematics, science, and technology. My experience in the Teacher Quest Tampa Bay Program will give me exposure to industries that I have little knowledge about or have not yet explored. This exposure will help me make connections with student academics and real-world careers that will expand my students' future endeavors. The community involvement aspect and connections I hope to create, will promote student interaction with relevant career paths and integration of math and science in everyday experiences.

I have been teaching for 11 years, the last 8 years in the area of math, and I love what I do! I applied to the Teacher Quest Tampa Bay Program because I wanted a firsthand opportunity to experience how math impacts businesses in the district where I teach. I hope to learn how math creates an efficient/cost effective production facility. I also will be able to observe the relationships between labor force and output and speed of production. Students always ask the question in math "When will I ever use this stuff we are learning?" and I want to keep a detailed journal of how math affects business. Industrial engineers plan the layout of manufacturing plants to maximize efficiency and I want to bring these real-world applications back into the classroom. My greatest teaching honors are the letters of appreciation I receive from my students telling me how much I have helped them and how grateful they were to have me as their teacher. These notes are my greatest achievements and make my heart smile.