I was born in England in 1955, in a small town called Harlow, Essex. My family came to the United States in 1962 on the S.S. France ocean liner. My Dad was recruited for a mechanical engineering job, and we settled in Bellerose, Queens. I studied Psychology at Queens College for 3 years and then switched to a BA in Education. I have one Masters in Environmental Science from Queens College and later I earned a second Master’s Degree from MCLA in Educational Administration when it became necessary.
My teaching career involved 7 years of teaching K-8 science as an untenured teacher in Great Neck, N.Y. I was then hired by the Great Neck Public Schools as a tenure- track Science Teacher and then soon thereafter as the Science Dept. Chairman at the South Middle School. During those pre-internet years, I started a company called Magic Moments with Class with a dear friend, which involved creative teaching tools for teachers. I also started up an ergonomic backpack company when heavy backpacks became a huge issue for kids in school. Over the years I served on the steering committee for the National Environmental Education Foundation and on the Long Island Arts Alliance. In 2010, after 25 wonderful years teaching in the Middle School, I retired and started up a 3D printing sales and service consultancy to local schools and libraries, I taught summer school at the C.W. Post School for the Gifted and developed a Magic of Science program and offered a great series of interactive, online science simulations using the great programs at https://e-missions.clcwheeling.org. I also worked with the Long Island S.P.L.A.S.H. organization in Freeport N.Y., helping the Education Committee develop its outreach program on environmental education. Over the years, I also helped produce and develop about 50 TV shows for the Great Neck Public Access TV station and produced a great Science and Technology series called “SCITECH Long Island”. I soon realized I missed the daily interactions with students and I returned to teaching in 2015, this time at the High School level where I taught for 5 years at the amazing North Shore Hebrew Academy High School. There, I developed my own science research elective as a Makerspace program. Every student had to participate in at least 5 different competitions and was responsible for their own research budget and coursework. I retired again just prior to the Pandemic in 2020. Since retiring I have been busy working on our home, traveling with my family, and writing a book series as a guide to environmental activism for students and teachers. Knowing how little free time teachers have in these stressful times, my hope is that my book series will facilitate the development of effective and enjoyable Earth Action Clubs in our U.S. schools as well as interdisciplinary and intergenerational educational programs. I am very proud to have my book series endorsed by Bill McKibben.
