Employer Name  

Granville County Schools

Employer  Website

batten.inspiringteachers.com

Job Title  

Middle School Science Teacher

Additional education

Ph.D. and M.S. in Plant Pathology & Microbiology Texas A&M Univ. (2002, 1997). Postdoctoral research in virus biochemistry at NC State University (2002-2004)

Briefly describe what you do   

I pursued a Ph.D. studying plant viruses, however, after doing postdoctoral research, I decided to become a middle school science teacher.  I try to use my past experiences doing scientific research to expose students to hands-on science activities. I eventually hope to establish a middle school science research program.

What other jobs have you had?

• Postdoctoral researcher; Department of Biochemistry, NC State University

• Graduate Researcher; Dept. of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, Texas A&M University

• Research Technician; Dept. of Otolaryngology, Univ. of Texas Health Science Center

What are the key skills, abilities, and personal qualities necessary to succeed in this type of work?  

Patience and perseverance. I was very idealistic when I started teaching middle school. However, I quickly realized the immense challenges that teachers face everyday from discipline to funding issues. Patience to keep a positive attitude and perseverance to work toward my long-term vision of science education.

What do you enjoy most about your current position?  

I really enjoy watching students discover how "cool" nature (and science) can be.  If only I could find (and keep) that "hook" for every student.

Most important/valuable lesson or activity in college that impacted your career

My most memorable times at Trinity where participating in TUVAC (volunteering) activities. TUVAC brought together many different people from different ages, incomes, and ethnic backgrounds.

What advice for someone entering this field?

Teaching is a tough career, especially if you enter as a lateral-entry professional as I did.  I wish that I had has more in-class experience through seasoned teachers to learn how to deal with discipline issues. More than anything, discipline seems to zap time and energy, even from both beginning and veteran teachers. 
Science is also a tough career choice since there are often "hot" fields that change quickly.  My best advice is to get a well-rounded education and research experiences to be "qualified" for a broad range of positions.

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