[…]in diameter, and it is easily a foot taller than I am at the peak of its growth in the fall. As “my” plants grew and developed, I was also growing and changing as a teacher. One of the integral parts of my professional development was being accepted into the Knowles Teacher Initiative (“Knowles”), a program that aims to develop high-quality math and science teachers. As part of my work with Knowles, we completed yearly inquiry projects which were informal studies about the ways that our own individual classrooms functioned. While I enjoyed this work, I sometimes felt the same […]
[…]that world.” Oryan’s Story Teaching Discipline Math Why Math “I’ve had fun thinking through math problems for as long as I can remember so there was never a question about doing something in the field. I want to share my love of the subject with students.” Professional Experience During his undergraduate studies, Oryan worked as a calculus tutor and participated in a math teaching experiences program. During the spring semester of the 2021–2022 school year, he taught high school math. Oryan will begin his first full year of teaching at the High School For Youth and Community Development, during the […]
[…]get them to think like mathematicians. In 2009, Jim went back to his engineering roots by becoming the lead teacher at the new Engineering Academy at his school. In 2010, he assumed leadership of the district wide math teachers’ Professional Learning […]
[…]returning to school from weekends or holiday breaks, he doesn’t have anything to write about for “What traditions does your family have over the holidays?” or “What did you do over the weekend/break?” An upper elementary student doesn’t just write “I took bong hits of weed laced with cocaine” in his school’s writing journal or bring it up in the small group or whole class discussion. So what does he do?—Lie. He tells a story that has elements of truth: “I hung out with my cousins and friends and cracked jokes about each other.” Technically, that was true—just incomplete. Should […]
[…]at the forefront of her planning and practice. As a Knowles Teaching Fellow, Dwaina served on the book committee (as a member, a chair and a panel moderator), attended the writing retreat, attended and represented Knowles at multiple National Conference of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meetings, presented at Knowles Summer Conferences and brought Knowles professional development to her school. As a Senior Fellow, she acted as a think partner at the 2019 Knowles Germinator. Currently, Dwaina serves as a writer and associate editor for the Knowles journal, Kaleidoscope: Educator Voices and Perspectives. In 2021, she was appointed to serve as […]
[…]positivity. I’m curious—how do you think about enacting those bullet points from the agendas?” “I think you’re right on for that, it becomes very easy for it to be performative,” Marcy answered earnestly. “So I think it’s really the little things . . . [There’s] a Mother Teresa quote: ‘We can do no great things, only small things with great love.’” Marcy has learned that dramatic, flashy gestures tend not to generate meaningful or lasting results. Instead, she focuses her energy on consistency with what she considers “little things.” Little things like specifically directing teachers to power their computers down […]
[…]get so excited they decide to become the next generation of awesome scientists changing the world for the better.” Megan’s Story Megan Fretz, a high school and middle school science teacher of 11 years, originally planned to go into research, but found a love for teaching following an experience as a TA for an undergraduate microbiology course. Megan graduated from Durango High School and earned a BS from Colorado State University. She believes that one of the most challenging aspects of teaching “is finding the time, support, and resources to develop new and innovative ways to engage each and every […]
[…]at a downtown march that said things like “We want teachers, not SJW [social justice warriors]!” and “Work 12 months!”; others were spit upon from the office buildings we were marching around, and everyone heard people saying things like “Go back to work!” and “Stop being so lazy.” Putting aside these misrepresentations of teaching as a profession, it was infuriating that we had to walk off the job and march in the streets to convince the powers that be in the city that our students deserve basic support services. Our strike focused on increasing support staffing in our schools (e.g., […]
[…]of individuals over time.” Ginger’s Story Teaching Discipline Mathematics Why Mathematics “Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations or algorithms: it is about understanding.” – William Paul Thurston Professional Experience Ginger held a variety of positions with Stony Brook University, including Academic Peer Advisor, Proficiency Algebra and Mathematics Lecturer, Teaching Assistant and Math Tutor. Through these positions, she worked on developing the skills required to be an effective teacher, including teamwork, communication, problem-solving and leadership. Volunteer Experience During her undergraduate studies, Ginger worked as a dance volunteer with International Youth Fellowship. She also worked as a winter cloth distributor […]
[…]his teaching career, Ian worked as the mineral separation lab manager and as a teaching assistant for “Intro Geology” and “Journey to the Center of the Earth” at Stanford University. Also, he worked as a chemistry and math tutor. Ian began teaching at San Lorenzo High School during the 2017–2018 school year. Hobbies Ian enjoys hiking and volcanoes; he once hiked around a volcano in Hawaii. Academic Background Stanford University (Master of Arts in Education) Stanford University (Master of Science in Geological and Environmental Sciences) Franklin and Marshall College (Bachelor of Arts in […]
