“Teachers touch the future.” While that seems to be a hackneyed and clichéd phrase, in my experience as a teacher I have found it to be absolutely true. Ten years ago I made a career change, and entered the teaching profession. For the past eight years I have had the privilege of working with gifted middle school students. Working with middle school students and helping them to reach their potential has been an extremely fulfilling and satisfying career. However, a few years ago I found myself wanting more.

I came to my teaching career with an extensive background in science. Indeed, science was my first love, and my involvement with science education came later. However, in researching middle school science curricula, I was disappointed by the fragmentation and lack of rigor in the materials offered by many publishers. When I looked at my colleagues from around the state, I saw many who felt unprepared to teach science, and who approached their science lessons with fear and trepidation. This was especially true of teachers at the elementary level. While I could design and deliver rigorous and coherent lessons to my students, I became increasingly frustrated that I was unable to have an impact on a larger scale. It occurred to me that one way to reach many more students would be to reach their teachers. That was when I decided to pursue a Doctorate (Ed.D.) in Curriculum and Instruction.

The excellence of my work in education has been recognized through multiple awards, including the Exxon-Mobil Award for Excellence in Science Teaching and the Illinois Math and Science Academy Teacher Recognition Award. I have also participated in the Astronomy Resources Connecting Schools program at the Yerkes Observatory, the Astronomy Research Based Science Education program at the Kitt Peak National Observatory, and a Fulbright Memorial Teacher Fund trip to Japan.

I also serve on the Executive Board of the Illinois Science Teachers Association. As proud as I am of my accomplishments, it has become obvious to me that I need to complete a Doctorate degree in order to take my work to the next level and have a greater impact on science education. My vision for what I want to accomplish in education in order to benefit students and teachers is my motivation to complete my degree.

I am currently enrolled as a part-time doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education at Northern Illinois University. I have completed five semesters with a 4.0 grade point average, while concurrently working full time as a classroom teacher. I expect to spend two more years completing my coursework, and then hope to embark on a dissertation project relating to either undergraduate teacher education or professional development for practicing teachers.

My ultimate goal is to obtain a faculty position in a College of Education at a major university. My dream is to train future science teachers and to work with publishers to improve the science curriculum offered in our nation’s schools. Then I may truly be able to “touch the future” in the best way possible.