Introduction Page

My name is Maria and I come from Greece. I live in one of the southern suburbs of Athens not far from the sea. I hold a degree in Geology and got my first Master's degree in 2012, in Micropaleontology. I have recently finished the research regarding my Ph.D. that focuses on which is the best way to incorporate field trips in the teaching process and am about to start writing my dissertation.

The Early Years

Assuming the role of a teacher was something I tried to do from a young age. I couldn’t have been more than ten or twelve when I started helping the teacher at the Kindergarten school opposite my house some mornings a week when I had to attend afternoon classes at primary school. I can still remember the feeling of thrill and excitement whenever I had to work with the little ones! Later on, I can remember gathering kids in the neighborhood to play “school”, where of course I was the teacher.

My Studies

When I entered University to study Geology, I was totally fascinated by it and chose Paleontology as my field of expertise. While I was studying, I tutored school children to support myself financially. I taught science, math, and English and attended a great number of workshops and seminars on experiential learning, which has become my pursue and passion for teaching. I opted to complete a Master’s degree in Micropaleontology at the time because the Department of Geology only offers Masters’ degrees in Science (MSc) and not in Education (Med). It was fun and exhausting at the same time since I had to work with a microscope eight hours each day for a period of more than six months to acquire all the fossil data needed to complete my thesis. When it was time to decide what to do next, I had no doubt about what that would be. My Ph.D. research is in field trips and the best way they can be incorporated in the teaching process to actually enhance the learning experience for the secondary school students. Here is a photograph from the field trip to a volcano called Sousaki.

My Career

I have been teaching for 25 years now. I have taught young children, school children, university students, and adults, in some cases people much older than me. This year, I work as a substitute teacher of Science in a Secondary school and have designed an online module for university students attending a course in “Didactics of Geosciences”. Hopefully, when I have completed my dissertation, I will be presented with even a wider range of choices.

My Interests

I love designing and organizing experiential workshops for students and teachers using everyday objects to present a geological concept. So far, I have demonstrated the rock cycle using sweets and forming crystals out of sugar, teaching about geological time using threads and pictures, showing stratification with box matches and playing treasure hunt with the use of maps.

I love reading books, although my time is really limited, watching films, swimming in the sea or in the rivers, which is superb by the way, and being outdoors in general. I enjoy traveling and although I have a fear of flying, this has never stopped me from seizing each opportunity. Here is a picture of one of my favorite places in this world, my little heaven on earth, the wider area of Karpenisi, a town in central Greece. We organize wonderful summer schools for teachers there and spend a week in nature enjoying ourselves, bonding and learning about environmental education.

My Family

I have a really thoughtful husband with whom we have been through a lot of difficult times and we have always supported each other. He loves traveling on his motorbike and is a real genius in fixing things.

We have a son, he has just turned sixteen, who, I dare say, teaches me more than I teach him. He is fearless, brilliant, and so mature and makes us feel proud every step of the way. Here he is!