I work hard to create an engaging classroom atmosphere where content is primarily taught by inquiry. I focus on implementing discovery-based labs and having students present their work, defend their ideas, and be responsible for their own learning.”

Kate’s Story

Kate grew up in Maine and attended Northeastern University in Boston, where she took part in different teaching and mentoring programs for inner-city high school students. The experience strengthened her interest in teaching. As part of a peer tutoring program, she also helped her fellow students with physics, her favorite subject.

Kate moved back to her home state of Maine to enroll in a graduate program. Kate’s thesis at the University of Maine focused on characterizing student language and behavior during small group-guided inquiry learning. The project gave her the opportunity to better understand how students learn science as well as observe more modern and reformed teaching practices.

Kate held several teaching assistant positions while pursuing her master’s degree, which further confirmed her on her path to becoming a teacher. She began teaching chemistry at Bangor High School in 2008. Kate stays active in both the teaching and educational research communities, attending local and national meetings for physical science teachers and presenting and publishing her work.