Her Story
About Mary
I have been teaching for 23 years, starting in the Philippines where I taught for 12 years before coming to the United States in 2015. I currently teach AP Physics and regular high school physics to 11th and 12th graders. My approach to teaching focuses on making physics concepts enjoyable and accessible to students while preparing my AP students for their exams. I don't want to overwhelm students with boring physics stuff - I want them to enjoy it through projects and labs. What I love most about my career is working with young people. They give me energy even though I'm in my 40s, and I learn from them constantly. One of my most notable achievements is the improvement in my students' AP exam scores every year, but equally important to me is inspiring students to take up engineering and STEM-related fields. I had one student come to me and say they were taking Aerospace engineering because of what we did in class, which was incredibly meaningful. I recently completed my Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from American College of Education, building on my bachelor's and master's degrees in physics from Philippine Normal University and De La Salle University. I co-authored science textbooks back in the Philippines and plan to submit my dissertation on blended learning to technology or education-related journals. Looking forward, I want to continue being a classroom teacher because I really love being with kids and teaching them, though I'm also open to teaching at the college level as a professor in higher education.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mary
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would give credit to my teachers. I am very fortunate to have excellent, well, beyond amazing teachers. And I think it's really that passion and that willingness to go out of my comfort zone that I think contribute to success. Going beyond your comfort zone is scary, but if you want to grow personally and professionally, you really have to push yourself to go out of that comfort zone. Because once you're just there in your comfort zone, probably learning will not take place at some point.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
From a veteran teacher, she would always remind me, don't bring work home. Leave everything in school. And then make the most out of every day, whether it's a really great day for you, make the most out of it. Because that time will not come back.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
First of all, I consider being a teacher a calling. If you really have that passion for teaching, go for it. That's what I tell my students - if they tell me they're going to take up education, I am so happy. I tell them, go for it. If you really have it, it's like a calling. If your heart is into it, go for it, make the most out of it. It's going to be one of the best experiences in their lives.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The opportunities are always learning from young people and learning new skills. Whenever new technologies are presented to me, I see that as a learning opportunity. And making a difference in the lives of young people - I think that's the biggest opportunity for teachers. The challenges would also be technology. Students are into technology, so it's hard to get their attention. It's like a challenge for me to get their attention. I have to be better than the technology. I have to be better than Chromebooks or any other games that we do in the classroom. I have to be better.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think it's going beyond your comfort zone. It's scary, but if you want to grow personally and professionally, you really have to push yourself to go out of that comfort zone. Because once you're just there in your comfort zone, probably learning will not take place at some point. So it's going beyond the comfort zone.
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