The Wrangler: When you graduated from high school, what was your original plan for your future?
Mrs. Flores: My degree is in Sports Medicine. I originally planned on going to PT School to become a physical therapist, but I wanted to have a steady income while I continued my graduate work. I planned on being a high school athletic trainer/teacher in the meantime, but it turns out that teaching is my true calling! So I decided to forego PT school and stay in the classroom.
The Wrangler: Why and what did you see in Chemistry that made you decide for it to be your career?
Mrs. Flores: When I first started teaching, I taught Biology and Anatomy and Physiology since those subjects were most closely related to my degree. When I moved to this campus I was asked to teach Chemistry. I didn’t have a very good experience in my high school chemistry class, so I wasn’t thrilled to teach the class, but it turns out I absolutely love Chemistry. My goal is to prove to students how awesome this class is and to allow them to have a better experience than I did.
The Wrangler: What inspired you to teach an AP subject?
Mrs. Flores: Well to be 100% honest, there weren’t very many volunteers wanting to teach the class when it became available, but I since I LOVE to learn, I thought it would be a fun challenge to try to take over a class with a bad reputation. Additionally, I took every single AP science class my high school offered except for AP Chemistry, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for me to make up for it! And mostly… the kids! Giving my kids a challenging but fun experience is all the inspiration I need.
The Wrangler: Why did you choose to teach here at The Ranch?
Mrs. Flores: I graduated from Lamar CHS back in 2001, and when it was time to look for school districts I knew I wanted to come back “home.” GR had just opened and was in need of an athletic trainer, so it was a perfect fit.
The Wrangler: How has your family been impacted by your decision to teach in LCISD?
Mrs. Flores: My dad graduated from Lamar, my older sister and I graduated from Lamar and my two younger sisters graduated from Foster. My kids are both elementary students in the school district as well. The teachers and staff of LCISD have and will continue to build character and life-long learners in my family.
The Wrangler: With the chemistry club, how was the idea for it brought about?
Mrs. Flores: I have THE best students and a few of them – Virginia Bilic, Matthew Folh, and Michael Tsao – approached me about starting the club so they could do more fun labs after school.
The Wrangler: For those that are unaware, how does the chemistry club differ from a normal chemistry class?
Mrs. Flores: Student leaders choose labs they would like to conduct… bending glass, making bouncy balls, etc. and they bring supplies and conduct the labs/activities after school. I am just there to supervise and make sure no one gets hurt.
The Wrangler: Is there anything else that you would like to add about the chemistry club that you have not talked about?
Mrs. Flores: It is a great way to network with other science students… there are some veteran AP Chemistry students who have already taken the course, current AP Chemistry students, 10th grade chemistry students who are interested in the subject and are considering taking AP Chemistry, and just other good human beings who like to have a little fun! It is a great way to find study partners, and let your creativity run free.
The Wrangler: If you could tell any student that is considering taking AP Chemistry II, what would you say to try and motivate them to take it?
Mrs. Flores: It is all about the EXPERIENCE, and not the grade. So many students are motivated by grades only and not what they take away from the class. I take great pride in preparing my students for the outside world, be it their career or college classes. I feel confident guaranteeing that students who take my AP Chem class will excel in their chemistry classes in college (which are required for most students!) regardless of their outcome on the AP exam. IT IS WORTH IT! And it is so fun! Labs every week!!!
The Wrangler: What kinds of things do you participate in outside of school?
Mrs. Flores: Long distance running… I like to run half-marathons all around the state of Texas. I am currently looking to run a race in early March! I recently started training my beagle to run with me, so I’m going to see if she can make it 13.1 miles too! If I’m not running, I’m taking my kids to their sporting events… softball tournaments for my daughter and soccer and t-ball for my son.