Dr. Rebecca Firoved’s plan was always to eventually end up teaching. “I originally thought that it would be at the college level and not the high school level,” Firoved said. However, she has never thought about teaching a subject that isn’t in the science field. Currently, she teaches honors chemistry, molecular biology and AP Biology.
Even though she has a Ph.D. in biology and biochemistry, she never wanted to run her own lab. She also didn’t want to go to a big four-year school because you typically have to have a lab. “I said I was going to do research till it wasn’t fun anymore, and then become a teacher,” Firoved said.
The first lab she worked in was an anthrax lab; her job was to use anthrax toxin to locate cancer cells. She also met her husband in the anthrax lab. His job was to characterize the edema toxin, and what it did.
Outside of teaching, Dr. Firoved likes to go hiking with her husband. She also enjoys biking, and she was once a triathlete. She has two kids, one 15-year-old and one 13-year-old. Something people might not know about Dr. Firoved is that she’s a twin, and has also had dogs continuously throughout her life. All of her dogs have been rescued from the rescue society and most of them have lived to be about 12 years old. Someone who inspired Dr. Firoved to become a teacher was her high school physics and chemistry teacher, Mrs. McMullan. In the end, she chose to become a science teacher because “science is my thing,” Firoved said.
Sophomore Megan Lomotan is a student in Dr. Firoved’s class. Sophomore Megan Lomotan is a student in Dr. Firoved’s class. “I like that she teaches clearly and in detail, but also goes at a pace that is best for us. She’s willing to go slower if we need more time to learn the material and doesn’t make us feel bad for asking questions,” Lomotan said.
Science teacher Rebecca Firoved holds a review game for her students to practice for their upcoming tests. A new question is displayed on the boxlight and all the students race to write down the correct answer on their whiteboards. Sophomore Megan Lomotan finishes writing down her answer, the periodic element Boron, and quickly holds up her whiteboard. Dr. Firoved looked at her whiteboard and said, “That is correct!” and scored a point for her team. All her teammates excitedly celebrate and prepare for the next question.
Dr. Firoved loves teaching. She loves sharing her love for science, and the relationships she makes with students. “I love the lightbulb moments,” Firoved said.
Freshman Rajul Lamsal enjoys the review games Dr. Firoved holds before tests. “Instead of reviewing for tests in the traditional, pen-and-paper format, Dr. Firoved allows students to compete in games like Bingo or group activities for a prize. Sometimes, it gets to the point where students don’t want to stop playing,” Lamsal said.
