Rob Jensen
rejensen@mcps.k12.mt.us
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"A collection of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house."
Henri Poincaré, French physicist and mathematician (1854-1912)
Poincaré's quote is a guiding philosophy for science at Hellgate, where we train students in the process of science inquiry rather than simply having them collect a "heap of facts." My teaching goals are to generate a passion for science and life-long learning in my students and to help prepare them for their future lives both inside and outside of the classroom. I also try to be as available as possible to my students and encourage them to contact me at school or via email if they have a question about a class.
I have taught at Hellgate since 2001 and currently teach courses in Biology 1 and Advanced Problems in Science (APS). I hold bachelor's degrees in wildlife ecology, forest resources management, and zoology
from the honors program at the University of Montana, a master's degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Minnesota for my study of Barbary macaques (monkeys) in Morocco, and conducted dissertation research on wolves in Idaho while at the University of Idaho. Among many other research experiences, I served
as a wildlife biologist for both the Moroccan and Cameroonian governments while in the Peace Corps and made multiple trips to study seals in Antarctica through the National Science Foundation.
I started my teaching career through the Teach For America program, educating inner-city youth in the San Francisco Bay Area, and earned my teaching credential through the Math And Science Teacher Education Program at San Jose State. I have Montana teaching endorsements in Biology as well as Broadfield Science (this includes biology, earth sciences, chemistry, physics) and am a "National Board Certified Teacher," holding certification
in biology by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. I was honored with the 2016 Outstanding Biology Teacher in Montana Award by the National Association of Biology Teachers and as a state finalist for the 2019 Presidential Award for Excellence In Science & Mathematics Teaching.
One of my professional interests is international education and teacher training. I studied the Japanese education system in Tokyo through a Fulbright Memorial Fund award, twice traveled to Russia through the U.S. State Department to train teachers, authored a science teaching-techniques manual (Catalyst Teaching), and work with Teachers Without Borders (TWB), having designed and conducted a five-day TWB workshop on science inquiry in Chengdu, China for local science teachers. In 2017, I attended an environmental education workshop in Taiwan that was sponsored by the EPA. I have also been co-leading science research trips for Hellgate students to Costa Rica, the Galapagos, and Baja since 2004.
I am honored to work with so many outstanding teachers here at Hellgate where opportunities for students abound.
