The reason I am pursuing a teaching career speaks to my background, values, and skills. My parents both are or have been involved in education, and I have been fortunate to have been raised in a household which encouraged frequent and open discussion, debate, and learning. I have held a variety of jobs, chiefly in the administrative and computer fields. I have held assistant editorships for the journals of the Institute for Fathers and Families, and other institutes affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania. I have also done technical support for Pennsylvania Hospital, and Pep Boys headquarters, as well as other smaller businesses. Finally, I have had many administrative jobs over the years, including those involving database maintenance.I have had many types of teaching experiences.In the time I have spent teaching, I have used techniques developed in my previous experiences, such as visual aids and conversational and anecdotal approaches to learning, to enhance the students' learning process.Coordinating my teaching and testing goals with the administration, and learning from and sharing with my peers, has been a great help to my learning 'best practices' and implementing them in my classroom. Understanding the goals of the administrations and the departments for whom I have worked, and understanding the backgrounds of the students whom I teach, has helped my effectiveness as a teacher and communicator.My teaching philosophy has been informed by my background and experiences, and comprises a set of values and improvements I hope to bring to each and every student. The importance of having students understand the inherent value and importance of education is critical. Such understanding is not only a motivator, but also helps them appreciate how education is the key to opportunity.Specialties: Teaching, education, technical support, administration, case management, critical thinking, discipline