Ms. Holton

As a teacher, my job is to provide students with the resources, guidance, and opportunity they need to succeed. However, the actual process of learning and mastering the material can only be achieved by an engaged student. Learning to set and meet one’s own goals and expectations is a key skill both as a lifelong learner and as a scientist. Thus, my teaching centers on developing the skills of scientific investigation and encouraging students to make informed, evidence-based decisions in all aspects of their life.

I have a total of 7 years of college-level teaching experience in physics and astronomy. From 2012 to 2015, I was the Physics Teaching Fellow for Amherst College, a small liberal arts college in Western Massachusetts. Joining the Great Hearts community has been a wonderful way to return to those liberal arts roots! From 2015 to 2019, I taught Introductory Astronomy Lab at Arizona State University and, for one semester, at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.

My previous experience with pre-college students has been primarily through outreach programs, and I am exited begin working with this age group full time! Earth Science plays such an important role in both scientific research and in the lives of everyone living on this fertile rock floating amongst the cosmos, and I am incredibly lucky to be working with Great Hearts – a school that understands the importance of Earth Science in a well-rounded education.

I am a strong believer in life-long learning, and when asked about my hobbies, I say that my hobby is "collecting hobbies." I have designed, built, and refinished furniture. I crochet, knit, sew, garden, and bake. I enjoy hiking and camping, and I am working toward my first multi-day backpacking trip. In working toward a more sustainable lifestyle, I am constantly looking for ways to reduce waste and reuse what I already have. My adopted pups Sophie and Emma provide all the cuddles and kisses anyone could ever want. My goldfish Sir Henry and his plecostomus tankmate Professor Wheatley are the most recent additions to the household (and the only non-mammalian members of the family).

I look forward to my first year with Scottsdale Prep, and I hope to get to know all of you in the years to come!