OK, not a vampire, but I needed a different title!!

Got this from Kenny

The Rules

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions, I get to pick the questions
3. You will update your journal with the answers to the questions
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions

Here are my responses to Kenny's five questions:
Sorry about the lack of formatting, and bold type and stuff, it's just not my thing.

1) When did you decide to become a teacher? Why physics?

Actually, Physics came before teaching, I think, although now, really thinking about it, I'm not sure when the teaching really took hold.I had an amazing instrumental music experience in elementary school-thanks Bonnie Lockrem!! Learned to play two different instruments, flute and cello. That great experience continued into Jr. high school, thanks Allen Loyd. I remember thinking I wanted to be a music teacher, but was somehow convinced that that might not be such a good idea. I'm not sure if that part of it came from my parents or elsewhere, but given the state of instrumental music education, it wasn't far from the truth. And then had a great experience in High School as well-I was your traditional music geek in high school-marching band, concert band, orchestra, choir, piano-you name it!! I remember Bonnie told me that if I was going to major in music I had to go to USC, well, that didn't happen either, but I love music and performing and to this day, I sometimes wonder if I'd have been happier in that field.So, maybe that was the start of becoming a teacher.

The physics was actually embarassingly simple. The last biology class I took was in 8th grade. 9th grade was IPS, then in high school, I took Chemistry in 10th grade and Physics in 11th grade (once again I'm pleased that I am not in high school now where I'd have been REQUIRED to take Biology). I didn't take bio in HS because of the sciences, I liked it least-who knows, maybe I'd like it more now, but then I didn't really. So, when it came time to apply to colleges, I needed a major, and the thinking process went something like this.

I like science and am good at it, so some sort of science major.
I like physical sciences better than life sciences, so some sort of physical science major.
I like physics better than chemistry, so a physics major it will be.
Really and truly, it was that simple-scary, isn't it. But I'm one of, apparently, very few people who did not change their major during college. I entered as a physics major and left as one too.

As for the teaching, back to that. My senior year (or probably actually my junior year) of college, I started thinking about what I wanted to DO with my degree in physics. UCLA had a MAT (master of arts in teaching) in Physics degree that I could apply for. I knew that a PhD in physics was not in my future. I like the part of physics that explains what we see happening around us on a daily basis, not the more abstract, and to me esoteric, parts of it. I also decided to go back and give something back to the high school that I attended, so did an independent study at UCLA and went back to SAMO (Santa Monica High School) one day a week or so and did some demos and fun stuff for the kids in the physics classes. I had fun, and so onward I went.

2) I enjoy reading about wacky students in many journals. Tell me about a student who really sticks out in your mind for some funny reason.

The one that sticks in my head right now (just ended the school year today) is Casey. He was in my period 5 Chemistry class this semester. It was a tough class in general-talkative, not wanting to listen, etc. Casey is a real character, but I really liked him too. He's got big hair, lots of it, it's not that long, kind of long for a guy, but it's just got lots of volume-more than mine or Phil's. He's bright and did well in the class but was always full of antics too. For example, my TA walks into class with this awful look on her face, so I ask what's up. Her response, "Casey just licked my cheek outside of class." Eew, glad he never tried to lick mine!! Casey was constantly talking, and giving me a hard time, but it was all in fun and I gave back as much crap as he gave me. He brought out the best in me too. For example, during his final exam, I was in the back of the room working on the computer and he was sitting at the last desk in the row nearest to where I was working. He turned around and looked at me and I just couldn't help myself, I stuck my tongue out at him, and then had to contain myself as the rest of the class would have been mightily disturbed if I'd have busted up right then.

3) If you were able to find time extra time outside of classes and taking care of your son, what would you do with it? Sleep is not an acceptable answer. :)

I've really been itching to start horseback riding again. For a number of years a friend and I worked together with a couple of horses with absentee owners, so we pretty much got to do whatever we wanted to do, it was nice, and I'm finding that I really miss that time with the horses. It's one of the things I'd like to get going this summer. And I could use the exercise too!!

I also want to pick up the counted cross stitch that I started a number of years ago and never got around to finishing.

4) Tell me something I'd be surprised to find out about you.

I don't know, how easily surprised are you?

I don't think I've mentioned this much in my journal, but I've learned to be an animal trainer-lions and tigers and bears, (oh my!). I left teaching in 2000 because of a really awful year and decided to become an animal trainer, it was an amazing experience, and one that I'm not at all unhappy I had, but overall, it wasn't for me. The animal I miss most is the elephant, smart, and caring. There were so many times that Nellie would grab me a push me between her front legs protecting me, it was awesome. And yes, I have pictures, me and a HUGE lion cub.

5) Besides obvious, cliché things like "trying your best" what expectations do you have of your son as he grows up and becomes an adult?

As a teacher, I've got lots of examples of things I DON'T want him to grow up like. :)

At 2 years and 4 months, I don't know that I've got much in the way of expectations for him in adult life. These are probably more things that I hope to instill in him, values and stuff but here are a few of my top ones:

strive for happiness (I'm not such a good example of this-as I'm not sure exactly how to do that for myself)
personal responsibility (own up to your mistakes, and your successes too)
respect and value other people
be true to yourself, don't try to be someone you're not just for somebody else