This is my eleventh year teaching at Woods, and I am so excited to be here! I am very happy to be back in person. I am always available to meet with students and parents. I am going to do my best to encourage collaboration and communication to help students master concepts more easily. This year I am very excited to focus on Engineering and AP Chemistry and Mr. Chetwynd will be teaching Chemistry, Honors Chemistry and Honors Physics. This will allow me more time to help my parents and mother-in-law as they are getting older and require more assistance. I will be at Woods periods 1, 2, & 3, but I am happy to come back at lunch or after school if students need help or a parent would like to meet.

I have had a long and rather unconventional journey to arrive here, but it has taught me so much about myself and life in general. I started my journey at Rocky Mount Senior High School and went from there to NCSU majoring in Engineering. In 1994 I earned a Bachelor's Degree in Materials Science and Engineering. After graduation I worked in RTP for three years as a metallurgist in a copper powder metal plant. During my time as an engineer, I went back to NCSU to earn another degree in Secondary Science (1998). After earning my teaching degree, I taught Chemistry and Engineering in Wake County. In 2000 I took a break to experience the joys of parenting. In 2007 I started my own custom woodworking business while my children were in school and preschool. I really enjoyed designing and building custom furniture, but unfortunately I did not do a good job pricing my work. In 2012 I started substitute teaching all over Chatham County in hopes of finding a full time position. I feel very fortunate and excited to have the opportunity to teach at Woods. 

This year I will be teaching AP Chemistry and Engineering. Because of my engineering background, I strive to apply the concepts in the course syllabi in a fun, hands-on manner. I recognize there are many different learning styles and attempt to present information in a variety of ways to meet those different styles. I encourage creative thinking and problem solving because these skills are necessary for life in the 21st century. I also think projects are an excellent opportunity for students to gain mastery in certain areas while furthering their knowledge in areas of interest. By the end of the year, my goal is for all my students to be engineers. An engineer is a person who can combine science, math and technology with good creative thinking skills to design, modify, manipulate and/or build objects to solve problems and make processes better. These students should also be able to effectively use written and verbal communication, demonstrate good teamwork skills and utilize self-evaluation techniques.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me in person, by email (adowden@woodscharter.org), or by phone (919-960-8353 ext. 207). I am happy to meet with students before school, at lunch or after school if they have questions or need additional assistance.  I am looking forward to this year!