My name is Robert Terrill. I received my Bachelors of Science in Chemistry from California State University, San Marcos. I'm lucky enough to be married to my lovely wife, Katie, and to have two wonderful sons, Shelton and Ethan. I'm an avid reader and a highly skilled wrestler (against my 8 year old).
When I entered college I wasn't certain where I wanted to end up. Thankfully, I had positive examples from many people around me to help guide my way. My mother was an active and joyful teacher and I had already spent some time thinking about moving towards a career in education. My father started taking me SCUBA diving from a young age and helped spark an interest in marine biology that would later morph into a more generalized interest in biology and the sciences. Building up from these experiences, I began following a path that would allow me to transfer from Palomar College to a biology program at a local four-year college.
Then Organic Chemistry happened. Dr. Boyajian was more than just an excellent teacher, he was also a passionate scientist and a personal mentor. After spending a year in the two semester O-Chem program at Palomar he invited me to assist his students the following year in the Palomar SI program. This program, and the mentorship of the leaders of the Palomar and CSUSM STEM programs, inspired me to follow a career in science teaching.
Teaching at San Marcos High School hasn't been quite what I expected. I planned, following the example of excellent professors like Dr. Boyajian and Dr. Jasien of CSUSM, to teach Chemistry but I've moved more and more into Physics instruction. This year is my second year of teaching only physics courses and my first teaching AP Physics 2, a new course offering at our school.
When I entered college I wasn't certain where I wanted to end up. Thankfully, I had positive examples from many people around me to help guide my way. My mother was an active and joyful teacher and I had already spent some time thinking about moving towards a career in education. My father started taking me SCUBA diving from a young age and helped spark an interest in marine biology that would later morph into a more generalized interest in biology and the sciences. Building up from these experiences, I began following a path that would allow me to transfer from Palomar College to a biology program at a local four-year college.
Then Organic Chemistry happened. Dr. Boyajian was more than just an excellent teacher, he was also a passionate scientist and a personal mentor. After spending a year in the two semester O-Chem program at Palomar he invited me to assist his students the following year in the Palomar SI program. This program, and the mentorship of the leaders of the Palomar and CSUSM STEM programs, inspired me to follow a career in science teaching.
Teaching at San Marcos High School hasn't been quite what I expected. I planned, following the example of excellent professors like Dr. Boyajian and Dr. Jasien of CSUSM, to teach Chemistry but I've moved more and more into Physics instruction. This year is my second year of teaching only physics courses and my first teaching AP Physics 2, a new course offering at our school.