My interests in the fields of science intersect with the science of teaching. The master’s degree in secondary education I earned includes a healthy focus on teaching innovation and performance based curriculum development. My master’s degree endorsements in STEM education and instructional coaching also integrate trends on globalized STEM fields as well as the latest techniques in preparing teachers to innovate for the future.

Teacher Leadership

Teaching can be a powerful tool for improving humanity and positively affecting the lives of others. As a New Teacher Mentor at my school, I am afforded the opportunity to aid the next generation of teachers as they navigate their understanding of teaching. To foster their growth, I encourage new teachers to self-reflect. By reflecting on their experiences, they can identify areas for improvement and build a strong foundation for their own teaching practice. As a mentor, I can share my experiences and challenges, creating a community amongst colleagues. This camaraderie helps new teachers feel supported in their journey and allows them to learn from others’ experiences.

Philosophy of Education

Today’s students live in a globalized world and STEM education topics cover a diversity of sciences that include a variety of countries and cultures from around the world. A one-size-fits-all approach to education is no longer effective. Instead, we need a more comprehensive and inclusive philosophy of education that equips students with knowledge, self-reflection, problem-solving skills, and the ability to collaborate with others no matter where they come from.

Classroom Management

Effective classroom management is a complex task that requires teachers to navigate a variety of internal and external factors that converge each day in the classroom. It is up to the teacher to create a classroom that allows students to learn and succeed to the best of their abilities. However, at the high school level, teachers face unique challenges that require them to possess specialized skills and knowledge for subject-specific courses, the developmental stage of students, and administrative policies on discipline, as each of these may impact the application and efficacy of classroom management interventions.

Cultural and Educational Responsiveness

This is specific to a course where we researched cultural and educational pedagogy. My final topic was about the intersection of race, the achievement gap, and science education. There was a plethora of information about the decrease in time spent in the classroom on science topics and a widening science achievement gap that starts as early as elementary school and can persist throughout a student’s schooling. However, there are several ways that teachers can mitigate this, through seeking out culturally relevant pedagogical professional development, seeking out resources that can increase the integration of science in the classroom, teaching self-regulation skills, and the use of inquiry-based science practices. I found the relational aspects of the brain and culture intriguing, and I appreciated the books for this class because they delved deeply into how the brain works in response to different inter- and intra-personal scenarios.