[…]an anime club at her school. She is passionate about giving her students a space to embrace their “nerdy” side and providing a safe haven for LQBTQ+ and Autistic students. Academic Background Michigan State University (Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences) Michigan State University (Teaching Certification […]
[…]with the subject. I love watching students have the same fascinations and wonders that I once had.” Professional Experience During college, Tracy led a Literacy through Photography program at her local middle school. After graduation, she worked in biology and physical science classrooms while earning her master’s degree. Tracy will begin her second year of teaching at Fayetteville High School during the 2022–2023 school year. Hobbies Tracy loves anything to do with the ocean and has her SCUBA license. She also recently grew her own sourdough starter and bakes often. Tracy enjoys running, volleyball, and spikeball and gets involved with […]
[…]a competitive swimmer for over 10 years and continues to swim in her free time. She also enjoys cooking, baking, and spending time at the beach. Academic Background Hamilton College (Bachelor of Arts in Physics) Brown University (Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education: […]
[…]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 […]
[…]as well as the fact that a single math problem can be approached in many different ways to obtain the same answer.” Professional Experience During college, Misha spent time tutoring math students in both London and the US. After graduation, she taught middle school students at the Russian School of Mathematics. Misha will begin her first year of teaching at Henry M. Gunn High School during the 2022–2023 school year. Hobbies Misha is an avid juggler and enjoys singing in her local choir. Academic Background Charles University (Bachelor of Science in Math) Santa Clara University (Master of Education in […]
[…]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 […]
[…]she does not belong in our country because of her heritage. At that moment, all I could do is to comfort her, remind her that she does belong, and that society is waiting for her to develop her skills so she can take her rightful place in our world. Like this student, I felt pained and hurt—I knew I had to do more. The tools and practices of science—asking questions, analyzing and interpreting data, engaging in argument from evidence, etc., as listed in the Next Generation Science Standards (2013)—are also the tools needed to explore and change our world by […]
[…]identify times they felt impostor syndrome that I realized that I felt like an impostor. I was uncomfortable making every lesson concerning gender in STEM and worried that I would use the wrong terms or that my data or anecdotes were not exactly correct. When I wanted to have students discuss a video that talked about NASA’s famous confusion with the number of tampons Sally Ride needed for a few days in space, I felt the need to ask a female coworker if it was appropriate for 11th and 12th graders. I didn’t feel qualified to talk to my students […]
[…]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 […]
