I had the wonderful experience of doing a mentor interview with Jenny Whiting.
Jenny has been teaching physics for the last three years at Ensign Peak Academy. She had done some student teaching when she was getting her degree, but this is his first teaching job after receiving her degree.
Without further ado, here is my mentor interview with Jenny Whiting.
How did you first hear about Ensign Peak?
Katie Perry (whose interview can be found here) lived in my stake. I heard about the position for a physics teacher and talked to Katie and Diann about it.
What do you love about your subject? Tell us about how you became interested in that subject.
I love physics because, even though it can be intimidating sometimes, I love looking at the scenes around us and getting a fresh view. For instance, we just had a lesson about rainbows, and we were talking about all the reflections and how a rainbow works.
Why did you decide to become a teacher?
It was an interesting journey. I took physics in high school, thinking I was going to be a meteorologist. But after further experience in college, I didn’t find looking at the weather patterns as interesting. Then I got into acoustics, which was related to my musical interests; I play the piano and the flute. I also worked as a TA in an introductory physics lab, which helped me realize how much I enjoy teaching. It took some time and a little searching to find what I wanted to do.
How did you become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? What does that mean to you?
I was born and raised in the church. The church is at the forefront of everything I do. To me, it means following Christ and loving my family. It makes me want to follow the Savior and live the way He wants us to.
Tell us about yourself and your family.
I met my husband at BYU. We have 4 daughters, the oldest one is 9 and the youngest is 10 months.
Where do you live?
My family lives in Syracuse, New York.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love to be outdoors. Our family loves being outside in the winter. I love to take natural photographs of snowflakes. Hiking and being outside in the summer is another favorite in our family. As I said before, I play the piano. I also love to bake. Chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodles are a favorite around the house.
What is something unique about you?
I enjoy taking pictures of snowflakes. They are really each unique!
What hopes do you have for your students?
I hope that when my students come to physics class that they come with a sense of wonder and that they will come to a better understanding of how everything works together.
Jenny Whiting is a Physics teacher as part of the High School program at Ensign Peak Academy. If you would like to learn more about their high school program, please click on the link below: