Next Steps

After my Winter/Spring AmeriCorps season at the Teton Science Schools, I will stay on as a field instructor for the summer season. My knowledge of ecology will be put into use as I take students out to the National Parks for their day programs, and I look forward to learning more about the wildflowers and phenology here.

My skills as an educator will also be put into use and improved. In particular, I seek to improve my questioning skills by using different forms of questioning and participation to engage students (raising hands, working in pairs or small groups). I also wish to ask more questions that focus on justifications and value judgements, not just on knowing scientific facts or processes, because I want to become better at bringing conservation and stewardship into my teaching.

My experiences at TSS, with my capacity projects, and in this part of Wyoming reminded me that I am always a part of a community. My capacity projects remind me that my food waste and resource use have consequences and as a leader and citizen, I wish to try and reduce our impact on the environment.

Career Path Envision

I enjoyed being an educator at TSS because I liked working with children and feel that education is a valuable vocation. There is still so much to learn for me when it comes to education skills or theories, so I imagine I would like to explore the education realm further. However, I wish to teach more about conservation and environmental issues and solutions.

I do miss being a part of a land or wildlife management organization and practicing those field research skills. I also wish that I could focus more on conservation than purely science or ecology. So, I imagine I would enjoy a long-term career that balances both wildlife research and conservation education.