[…]native Kimberly Voss credits her grandfather, a dedicated chemist and enthralling storyteller, for igniting her passion for science. As a child, she eagerly participated in science fairs and felt a strong sense of accomplishment from learning science. Kimberly’s dedicated teachers nurtured her inclination, guiding her path from high school at Nardin Academy to St. Bonaventure University where she earned a Bachelor of Science and the State University of New York at Buffalo where she was the first graduate to obtain a master’s degree in structural biology. Kimberly began her career as a research associate at Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute in […]
[…]and I thought I was ready. I was teaching two courses that I had taught before, and I was more comfortable changing things in my teaching practice to reflect what I had learned from the last two years. I was implementing new learning from my credential program, in-district professional development, and from my Knowles Teaching Fellowship work. I was experimenting with grading math on a standards-based system. I was trying to incorporate retake systems and new homework policies into my classes that better reflected my ideas around learning. I had fully bought into the professional learning community (PLC) model after […]
[…]to students, connecting with students, being respectful, being patient, and making students feel comfortable and safe), 64% of current teachers (36 of 56) and 72% of former teachers (eight of 11) specifically mentioned something about caring for students. As one current teacher put it, [A good teacher] cares about their students as people and treats them as people. And ideally communicates that care to students in an appropriate and thoughtful daily way . . . it is both really, really crucial, and also not nearly enough on its own. We know too much as a profession about what helps students […]
[…]opportunity for all students in whichever career they wish to pursue. Professional Experience Before becoming a teacher, Saloni worked as a business analyst at Capital One, helping improve a program that helped customers who weren’t able to pay their credit card bills. While in her Master’s program, Saloni student taught at Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, California. There she taught Algebra 1 and AP Calculus BC. In her first full year teaching, Saloni taught Math Course 1 and Precalculus at Oceana High School. Saloni will start her second year teaching at Oceana High School in Pacifica, California, teaching Math Course […]
[…]the experiences of women, people of color, and LGBTQIA scientists into the curriculum. In “Unpacking Human Migration,” David Upegui describes his set of lessons connecting biology to the current state of human migration in the world. While teaching students, we are also using the hidden curriculum to shape their experience. In Michelle Lo’s piece, she discusses how her first year of teaching in a pandemic disrupted her views on power in the classroom and how she hopes to find a new balance. “Authentically Connecting Students’ Home Lives with the Classroom” shares John Walker’s approach to teaching each student as a […]
[…]where she developed and ran a Science Center. Helen began teaching at The Pingry School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey during the 2016–2017 school year. Hobbies Helen enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, knitting, reading, and running. Academic Background University of Pennsylvania (Master of Science in Secondary Education) University of British Columbia (Master of Science in Chemistry) McGill University (Bachelor of Science in […]
[…]to request teachers for the next year. To me, the clear underlying message was, “I like you,” “I had fun this period,” and/or “You are a good teacher.” Maybe even a great teacher. I was feeling good, and my confidence got a little boost until I read “The Great Teacher Myth,” written by Knowles Fellow Erin Marron (2016). She notes: Depicting a past teacher as the lone teacher bucking the system is subtly couched in a larger assumption—that the surroundings are bleak and uninspired. When we glorify our own inspirational teachers, we quietly assume that our other teachers who came […]
[…]loves to crochet and knit. She used to sell handmade cat and dog sweaters. She also enjoys cooking, baking, watching horror movies and trashy TV shows, drawing, and hanging out with friends. Academic Background Vanderbilt University ( Bachelor of Science in Biology Sciences and Secondary […]
[…]to collect everyone’s ideas. The day after, I organized common themes from students’ requests for commitments and created a final version to share and make “official” for students. Some examples included, “Try your best by completing all work and engaging in class as much as you can (e.g., completing Desmos, entering in the chat, unmuting to speak, etc.),” and “Honor others’ thinking by respecting each others’ questions, contributions, voice, and ideas (‘I agree/disagree because . . . ‘ instead of ‘That was dumb. She already said that’).” This shift from providing norms to co-creating norms with students was in itself […]
