Last school year, the Science department struggled to find a permanent Chemistry teacher. In recent years, Chemistry was taught by three different teachers: Dr. Brolly, Ms. Roberts, and Mr. Sopher.

Dr. Brolly, unfortunately, passed away last year, leaving a large position to be filled in the Science department.  This year, Dr. Ward filled that gap. I recently sat down with our new Chemistry teacher for a quick Q&A.

Here’s the scoop on Dr. Ward:

Q: What activity do you do that makes you feel most like yourself?

A: Crafting. I craft all sorts of things. I like to see the results of what I make. And I feel like it ties into Chemistry and the labs we do in here.

Q: What one skill do you wish you could master?

A: I wish I was better at sports. And I know if I worked at it I could be better at them, but I’m sort of all thumbs when it comes to hand-eye coordination on a big scale like that. Practically speaking, a life skill I would want to master would be swimming. I can swim, and I love to swim, but I haven’t studied any of the strokes, and I don’t think I swim in the most ergonomic way and I think it would be great thing to know as a person just as a life skill and enjoying exercise.

Q: If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?

A: My mom.

Q: How do you make teaching fun?

A: I try to make teaching fun by trying to make it very interactive with my students. I believe in hearing more from their voices and less from mine. And I try to create opportunities in my class where they get to share their ideas with each other.

Q: Do you have any hobbies or talents?

A: I really love to cook. For me and my family and we love trying out crazy new recipes. And I used to play the flute.

Q: Why did you become a teacher?

A: I was going for my Ph.D. in Chemistry and I was on this research track. And I found out that the thing that got me out of bed in the morning, and what kept me excited about going into grad school, were the days that I got to teach. So I learned who I was as a person in grad school. I still love Chemistry, and I like the interaction with students. And it keeps it really fresh for me to look at Chemistry through the eyes of my students.

Q: What’s your favorite movie, and why?

A: Probably “Pride and Prejudice” because there is just something very wholesome and nostalgic about it. It’s just a good girls’-night-in type of movie.

Q: If you could live in any decade, which one would you pick and why?

A: I would probably pick a time period where the clothes were really cool. Maybe the Victorian era, but just for the clothes. I’m sort of a feminist and I don’t know how I would feel about women’s rights during the time, I feel like I would have problems with that. But I just love the clothes.

Dr. Ward thankfully swooped in to save the day, filling in a major role at SSES.  She teaches with enthusiasm and a love for science. I have been hearing many positive comments on Dr. Ward from the students. They describe her as “caring” and “engaging.” We gladly welcome Dr. Ward to the Saint Stephen’s community.