My experience started about 10 years ago when I was employed as a curriculum writer for a local museum in Houston, TX. During this time, I wrote curriculum based off of NGSS as well as TEKs (Texas standards) for after school programs. During this time, I spent about 2 years developing engaging science and engineering content that could be guided by teachers. I designed the curriculum (including topics over dissections, robots, and even space!), presented it to a team, revised the curriculum based on feedback, and then gave final proposals of the curriculum. I then built kits over the curriculum (similar to CrunchLabs) and would go out and either deliver the curriculum kits to local schools/after school programs or I would teach the curriculum to the students myself.

After about 2 years, I decided to expand my experience by obtaining a job as a teacher in a public school. For the past 8 years, I have taught various students aged from 5th to 9th grade. Being based in Houston, most of my day to day job includes experience with TEKs aligned curriculum, BUT this should not impact the data credibility as my experience taking standards and developing three dimensional instruction with engaging phenomena still applies. In fact, TEKs and NGSS are very similar as they both value the relevance of content and the importance of reaching all learners.

During my 8 years of public school teaching, I have achieved many different awards and achievements that directly align with the Next Generation Science Standards values. My first achievement was that I got my Master’s in Science Curriculum. For this degree, I studied and implemented scientific practices and concepts. After my Master’s, I was awarded a National Board Certification. This certification is often considered the “gold standard” of teaching. To obtain this certification, I had to prove that I was a versatile teacher who taught students to think rather than tell students what to think. I did this by submitting science curriculum proposals, student samples, and even recordings of my teaching! In addition to this, I was awarded a “Master Educator” designation (the highest teacher designation a teacher can achieve in Texas) and presented at a CAST (science teacher) conference where I discussed my teaching methods, engagement with students, and how I write curriculum.

My interest in Class CrunchLabs comes from my passion for engaging curriculum that students are excited about as well as my desire to have my voice heard in revolutionizing education. One day, my dream is to open my own school that embodies the same values y’all promote through every video. Let’s face it, everyone, including teachers, knows that the typical classroom that we have developed today is not sufficient, engaging, or effective enough. I want to be apart of a team that is in the process of changing the way we view education. I believe that this role in Class CrunchLabs would enable me to begin the revolution that classrooms need as well as set me up for my end goal in education.