Passion for STEM

Anyone that knows me knows that I love science; learning about it, teaching it, talking about it. Early on in my teaching career I had the opportunity to work with Stevens Institute in Hoboken to pilot the new NSTA standards being written. A key difference in these standards is that they incorporate teaching science through engineering. And hence my passion for STEM began. 

When I began piloting these standards I was teaching freshman high school biology. While I was seeing a very positive impact on the learning of most students, I still saw a divide. Many of my students were coming into freshman biology with the opinion they were good at science and enjoyed it or they “just were not good at science”. I remember it struck me as very surprising that at such a young age these students had already categorized themselves as not being good at science. 

Children are naturally curious about the world around them, which is the foundation of science learning. I began to think if students were encouraged from a young age to stay curious, ask questions, and understand being wrong and doing it again are part of the process anyone can be good and enjoy science. 

It was this thought that I brought with me as I entered my next stage of education which was teaching upper elementary science at Yorkshire Academy. I focused on encouraging each and every student that everyone can be good at and enjoy science. By incorporating engineering into my curriculum it also showed students that failing and trying again using what you learned from your past experience is part of the process. I felt like I was receiving good feedback from the students and in general I felt that most students really enjoyed science and coming to class. My impact on these students reached a peak when recently a student from my first year at Yorkshire came back to visit. He shared with me that he is going to college to become a Petroleum Engineer and his experience at Yorkshire in my class first sparked his interest in doing this. 

If my journey in STEM has taught me anything, it is that no child is too young to start. Having my own young daughter at home, over seeing my planning and showing true interest in the projects I plan for 3rd-5th grade has further cemented this for me. Last year, I put it to the test by inviting my daughter’s preschool class into my 5th grade science class. The 5th graders took a complex topic they were learning about and brought it down to a concept the preschoolers would understand and then used this concept to complete an activity. Every single student was engaged and excited for 45 minutes. Months later, my daughter is still talking about it. 

It is my hope to continue to find ways to nourish and encourage children’s natural curiosity in the world around them so each student leaves Yorkshire Academy confident to tackle whatever STEM adventures lie ahead for them.