At long last, Dr. Mad Scientist is joining the blogosphere!

Welcome to the lab! I'd say I started blogging because I feel I have an interesting and unique viewpoint I'd like to share with the world, but I'm trying not to lie as much as I used to. In reality, I'm taking a course in Urban Education. This blog is part of the course requirements, so it my posts will most likely be focused on Urban Education and a number of my posts will be on topics assigned by our instructor. I will also run a little farther afield. Get ready to hear (to a nauseating extent) about Colorado State football, my greatest love (oh, along with my wife and kids, I may post about them too, on occasion).



For those of you who aren't familiar with me, Dr. Mad Scientist is the name my wife refers to me by in her blog. She's a much more established blogger then I am. I recently decided my current/previous career just wasn't doing it for me. I have a Ph.D in a biological science and am currently doing medical research in NYC. I really can not see myself doing it for the next __ decades.



So after a period of self reflection, and more than a little anxiety, I realized the teaching aspects of my previous job were what I enjoyed most about it. I also realized I'm craving the feeling that I'm really making a difference (preferably for the better!) in the world. That lame old cliche about making the world a better place is alive and well in me. So I took a deep breath and applied to go back to school to become a teacher. Specifically I'm looking to teach high school biology, and I'm planning to teach chemistry as well once I get a little more settled.



I ended up in a program that is geared towards producing math and science teachers for urban school districts in general and Newark, NJ in particular. So I will be teaching in Newark Public Schools in the relatively near future. And yes, I've heard from many, many people that I am insane for voluntarily going into Newark. I know, I know, I will be beaten, stabbed, mugged, shot and called mean names. I know the general public perception of Newark is that I would be better off teaching in one of the lower circles of Hell.

But you know what? That's where good teachers are most needed. It's where I think I'll be able to do the most good, and have the greatest chance to actually make the world a little bit better. No, it probably won't be easy (but you will not hear me complain if it is) but it's my experience that the things most worth doing rarely are.

Stay tuned for my first class-related blog post. It will be a scintillating review of a couple articles we read for class. You really won't want to miss it. Well, objectively you probably will want to miss it, but I hope you'll check it out anyways.

Oh, and as a final note, I know the blog looks a little drab right now. I am going to spruce it up a bit and start adding more links and pictures to my posts. I just need to figure out how first. Thanks and welcome to Dr. Mad Scientists lab!