My name is Jessica Fries-Gaither, and I am an elementary resource specialist at the Ohio State University, where I serve as project director for Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears. Beyond Penguins is a free, online professional development magazine for elementary teachers dedicated to increasing knowledge of the polar regions and to integrating science and literacy through best practices.

Like many of the other presenters, I have always been interested in science. I grew up in a family that encouraged exploration and learning. Frequent library trips fueled a lifelong passion for reading, and a countless classes and workshops cultivated a wide variety of interests.

When I enrolled at the University of Notre Dame, I planned to major in biology and thought I’d become a geneticist. But after two tough years, I decided that the lifestyle of the laboratory and the molecular side of biology really wasn’t for me. Instead, I gravitated towards classes like ecology, evolution, and population genetics and even spent a summer doing environmental fieldwork. While I loved these courses (and the anthropology I was studying as a second degree), I still wasn’t sold on the idea of a Ph.D. and research.

I decided to spend two years after graduation teaching with the Alliance for Catholic Education. Run by Notre Dame, the program places teachers in underserved Catholic schools across the southern United States. I was placed as a middle school math and science teacher in Memphis, TN. Despite the enormous challenges of the experience, I realized that as an educator, I could capitalize on my diverse interests and creativity. And so, after graduating from ACE with my M.Ed., I decided to continue teaching.

I moved to Anchorage, AK, where I taught for six more years: one year of 8th grade science and then five years at a Catholic elementary school where I taught self-contained 6th and 4th grades as well as a year as a math/science specialist for 5th and 6th grades. Working in an elementary school was a wonderful experience, affording me the opportunity to teach other content areas and work with a new age group. During this time, I was also able to indulge my love of travel and culture and grow professionally by participating in seminars to Japan and South Africa and Botswana.

Now, after another cross-country move, I am out of the classroom yet still in the field of education. I am enjoying new challenges and opportunities: learning about polar science and current research and supporting teachers by providing exemplary science and literacy resources.

Even if you can’t participate in our web seminar, please be sure to check out our cyberzine and blog!