Jennifer O’Hara’s passion for teaching comes from her love of science and working with young people, inspiring them to explore biology, among other topics.
Teaching Biology, Biotechnology 1 and 2, and Advanced Placement (AP) Biology, O’Hara is a dedicated teacher at Carlmont who takes pride in her job. Whether this is shown in her classroom approach or her efforts to create an engaging experience for students, O’Hara works to share her passion for science.
“I wanted to put two of the things I loved together and became a science teacher,” O’Hara said.
Despite this, O’Hara’s career in education began long before she stepped into the classroom as a teacher.
“I grew up working at summer camps teaching kids how to surf and sail in San Diego. I worked as a sailing instructor while studying science in college and for a couple of years afterward,” O’Hara said.
O’Hara loves science because she finds the subject fascinating. This interest in the subject helps her teach about various topics within science, helping her students learn about the world.
“I love teaching students how the world works and seeing the ‘aha’ moments students have in science. I enjoy when my students get excited about learning and doing science,” O’Hara said.
Many students find O’Hara to be a helpful teacher.
“She’s a great, upfront teacher who goes over work in front of you and corrects mistakes. She is very helpful,” said Craig Holland, a junior at Carlmont.
O’Hara’s commitment to her students goes beyond just delivering lessons. She makes it a point to provide detailed feedback on assignments and is always willing to answer questions, whether it’s labs or after class.
“Ms. O’Hara is extremely accommodating toward her students. She grades every assignment with lots of feedback for her students and answers any questions we have during labs or while completing assignments,” said Lila Haven, a sophomore at Carlmont.
