I grew up in the foothills of the Green Mountains in a small, rural community. From an early age, I loved to explore the mountains, woods, and rivers nearby. It wasn't until my sophomore year of undergraduate college that I realized the limitless scientific potential of exploring Nature. My passion for understanding the natural world and exploring unique ecosystems have brought me to the Pacific Northwest, the Western Rockies, New Zealand's coastlines and mountains, and even locally in the forests of northern New York!
Being passionate and curious about our world is something I want to bring into my classroom. Whether in a formal learning experience, or giving my students the opportunity to independently explore and engage with their surroundings and community, I hope to create a learning environment where each learner can discover exciting ideas, skills, and passions. To contact Ethan Self for non-school related inquiries, please email at [email protected]
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Education |
I graduated from St. Lawrence with a B.S. with Honors in Conservation Biology. As an undergraduate student, I dabbled in government, mathematics, and global studies before discovering my love for ecology and naturalist education. I spent my junior and senior year examining the relationship between environmental variables and the life history of common bryophytes in the forests of New York, as well as the cultural and ecological impacts of a potential reintroduction of Mountain Lions in the Adirondack Park in New York.
My educational journey initiated when I returned to Vermont becoming a educational volunteer at a local environmental conservation organization. I recently completed a Masters of Arts in Teaching, concentrated in Secondary Education at the University of Vermont. My student teaching experience was at Mount Abraham Union High School, in Bristol Vermont. I taught general biology and human anatomy & physiology courses, and developed a pedagogy based on student-led inquiry of authentic scientific problems, accompanied by scientific technology and practices, as well as differentiated instruction. I am currently instructing the sciences in rural Craftsubry, Vermont, where I will teach environmental science, chemistry, physics, and AP Biology to small classrooms, focusing on 'curiosity, critical thinking, and community' in and out of the school environment, |
Work Experience |
While working on my undergraduate degree, I spent several months in the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood ecosystems in Oregon. I was part of a research team examining the impact of climate change on the distribution and life history of the American Pika. The experience was influential in how I understood research using both technology and observations to answer pressing scientific questions. I helped design citizen science efforts through public educational meetings, working with local environmental NGOs, and educational nature walks.
I spent a summer and fall in central Wyoming working for the Bureau of Land Management, through a fellowship through the Great Basin Institute, a conservation and environmental policy organization. I examined the impact of cattle grazing and oil drilling on ecological succession in a variety of ecosystems. I continued my environmental outreach when I retuned to Vermont, volunteering at a local Audubon Society's educational outreach programs. Designing and implement inquiry-based lessons became an essential component of my educational pedagogy as I helped learners of all ages approach the natural world with a curious, critical eye. |