ASPIRING SCIENCE TEACHER
Education rooted in diversity is essential to creating a safe and successful classroom community. As an educator, it is my duty to ensure that all learning styles and backgrounds are not only addressed, but also equally represented in the classroom. Fluidity in pedagogy is critical when developing an effective space for learning. In order to frame my community with such flexibility, I implore my students to not only treat their peers as equals, but to see my role as a facilitator instead of an authority figure. In the multitude of after school programs, summer camps, and outdoor education experiences I have taught, I have each new class create their own set of group guidelines. This establishes a sense of ownership and accountability for the students to uphold the rules of the community. Here, making space for the emotional development of students is key to building a successful classroom. It is imperative to build a community where students come to conclusions and discoveries by their own accord and learn to guide each other.
This is specifically important in the scientific field, where most knowledge is imparted in a lecture-type setting, starting even in elementary school. Because empirical knowledge is key to understanding the world and instilling empathy for taking care of it, it is critical we reestablish the way students learn science. In order to provide a space for students to feel inquisitive and respected, we need to provide a set of scientific perspectives from many different cultures. Through crafting my own lesson plans and incorporating research from a wide array of cultures and ethnic backgrounds, I ensure my students feel represented in the physical classroom and the actual content we study together. I have built my foundation in education on classroom and behavior management techniques that approach students with sympathy and understanding rather than punishment for disruptive behavior. As I continue pursuing this career, I am constantly refining how I impart knowledge in the most effective way, where each student feels like they are a part of a community based in respect and curiosity.
ACCOMPLISHENTS
CANOPY CONNECTIONS
Environmental Leadership Program with the University of Oregon
Alongside 7 teammates and a team manager, we created a four-course curriculum tailored to the HJ Andrews Experimental forest. The lesson plan I worked on primarily concentrated on the significance of biodiversity not just in an old growth forest, but in the environment in its entirety. Through plant identification, story telling, hiking, and a game centralized in biodiversity, students were able to identify key species to an old growth forest, detail the four characteristics of an old growth forest, and explain why biodiversity is important.
CLAYMATION WORKSHOP
YMCA of San Francisco
At the Peninsula Family YMCA, I was the acting Arts and Crafts consultant where I taught students ages 5-11 how to construct their own stop motion films using multimedia. Students designed their own sets, crafted their own stories, and made their own special effects. Each video is uploaded onto my Youtube channel, which showcases the students' creativity and talent.
TEEN JOURNALISM
Flushing YMCA
I established a journalism group for middle school students which led them throughout New York. Inspiring self-sufficiency, refining observation skills, and expanding on creative writing, students were able to craft a newsletter and end-of-the year portfolio showcasing their investigative prowess.
COMMUNITY GARDEN PROJECT
Flushing YMCA
Starting out as a camp counselor, I made sure to provide a fun, healthy, and safe summer experience. Once the after school programs started, I took it upon myself to rehabilitate the garden boxes at P.S. 120 in Flushing, NY. I crafted a two-week curriculum tailored to fourth graders that covered photosynthesis, garden basics, and environmental empathy. We utilized ornamental plants in the fall and transitioned to edible plants in the spring.
CONTACT
EXPERIENCE
ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Working with the Environmental Leadership Program through the UO Environmental Studies Program has been life changing. By applying the principles of environmental education to a curriculum tailored towards underserved middle schoolers, our research primarily focuses on the most effective means to combat the nature deficit disorder. This program has refined my team management skills as well as given me more exposure to the target age group I want to work with in my career.
SAN FRANCISCO YMCA
As a Sports Camp Unit Director, Arts Camp consultant, Teen Camp coordinator, and after school specialist, the many hats I wore at the YMCA of San Francisco enriched my work experience and refined my teaching style. I taught cooking classes to children inspiring healthy lifestyle choices and self-sufficiency in the kitchen. I lead the arts and crafts program, which focused on claymation. By crafting meaningful lesson plans on language arts, biology, and health, I was able to reach a K-8 audience and instill the core values of the YMCA.
YMCA OF GREATER NEW YORK
For two years, I worked with the YMCA of Flushing New York City where I initiated a community garden program at an elementary school that worked with local coffee shops to use their coffee grounds in the school’s compost system. With the teen program, I instilled an outreach journalism program. This brought middle schoolers around the city to different points of interest as they wrote reviews and articles about what they observed.
ALLEY POND ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER
At the Alley Pond Environmental Center of Queens, NY, I acted as a preschool teacher instilling the principles of environmental education. There, we took preschoolers throughout the delta and taught them about the local flora and fauna, all the while charging them with environmental empathy, curiosity, and discovery.
SUMMERBRIDGE SAN FRANCISCO
Engaging the philosophy of Breakthrough Collaborative, I worked with Summerbridge San Francisco, a summer program working to elevate the education experience of underserved middle schoolers. Here, the tagline "students teaching students" rang loudly and true. I was just graduating high school when I taught poetry, health, and english in a classroom setting. This experience was my first taste of teaching professionally, and I have been hooked ever since.
