Describe ways your fellowship has changed you. Consider how you collaborate with peers, deliver instruction and learn about STEM careers.
I feel…empowered. As a biomedical science teacher, I feel more confident delivering content, I can better explain modern applications of concepts and techniques, and I have a much wider breadth of information about potential career paths to share with students. As I teach, I find myself frequently remembering and sharing things I’ve learned during my fellowship – from my mentor, during my time in the lab, or during my research.
I’ve been able to share new knowledge and contacts with my fellow biomedical science teachers, and common planning has benefited from this. I’ve even begun collaborating with another Kenan Fellow – Anna and I are planning a career fair day to give my students the chance to take on the roll of various biomedical professionals and teach her middle school students about different career paths they may not know about. We’re really excited about that! In the future, I hope to seek out (and create) more opportunities to reach out to my colleagues and share the awesome things I’ve learned, both during work with my mentor and during KFP professional development. I hope to take a more active leadership role in my school – I want to inspire other teachers to embrace their students, their content, and their influence on future STEM-focused citizens.
I still haven’t implemented my project – that will come later in the year. I can’t wait to see how my students benefit from the lesson I’ve designed!