Mark Hannum
Thomas Jefferson School of Science and Technology
Alexandria, VA USA
"Fear of the unknown is innate to humans; it's never going to go away. But you just have to kind of accept it and take that jump off the cliff."
Career Roadmap
Mark's work combines: Education, Science, and Teaching / Mentoring
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I initially wanted to become a research physicist, but once I heard that there was less than one new physics teacher per year per state, I knew I had to dedicate some of my time to teaching. That decision was not without its challenges, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I eventually went to grad school when the time was right.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Physics, General
Kalamazoo College
Bachelor's Degree
Mathematics, General
Kalamazoo College
Graduate Degree
Engineering Physics/Applied Physics
George Mason University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
He was a math and physics double major and he was ready to enter the research field and become a professor.
2.
One day, his advisor showed him an article that said that each American state only gains one new degreed physics teacher each year.
3.
He decided, "Okay, I should devote some of my life to teaching these kids."
4.
Before that, he and his wife decided that they wanted to go explore Europe, and he got a job teaching in Austria.
5.
That job gave him some time to learn the craft of teaching and mature as a person and as a teacher.
6.
Afterwards, he returned to the U.S. to fulfill his goal of teaching physics; now runs a lab at one of the best public high schools in the country.
7.
He always had his teaching goals in the back of his mind, but he never let those prevent him from pursuing big opportunities, like going to Europe.
8.
He loves his work because the human brain contains so much mystery, and it's amazing to pass along that sense of wonder to his students.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
Why would you teach instead of going to grad school?
How I responded:
I initially wanted to become a research physicist, but once I heard that there was less than one new physics teacher per year per state, I knew I had to dedicate some of my time to teaching. That decision was not without its challenges, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I eventually went to grad school when the time was right.