Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/859531
Great Expectations California Teachers of the Year on ways to help all students succeed G R E A T T E A C H E R S not only help students learn 21st century skills, but also inspire young people in multiple ways. It could be with encouraging words, or challenging work that sparks creativity and critical thinking. When we asked several of the 2017 California Teachers of the Year their thoughts about teaching, a few other qualities stood out: Stead- fast belief in individual ability and growth, and boundless empathy — often acquired through their own life stories. JENNY CHIEN Vista Teachers Association, @ChienforSTEM K-5 STEM teacher Chien teaches fourth-grade broadcast journalism and runs a flexible learning space called the Design, Research, Engineering, Art, Mathematics and Science (DREAMS) Lab, where students learn to code and engage in design challenges. Her parents owned a business, and as a child, she would often assist with basic finances. She believes this helped her excel in math at school. But she understood that other students needed time to process math concepts. " This experience grounds my passion for making sure that education is personalized for each child," she says, "so that academic paths are based on unique needs and focused on using strengths to address areas of growth." " Start with empathy. What is a problem to help with or solve? Students are incredibly creative and can offer unique ideas." Her goal with the DREAMS Lab: My goal is to create a col- laborative space for students to think critically, tap into their interests, foster their creativity and discover their passion. For example, in a fourth-grade game design challenge, students use their own interests and experi- ences to inspire their team to create an animated game. You see students who may not typically thrive in a tradi- tional classroom utilize their strengths and take the lead. How educators can replicate the lab: Start with empathy. What is a problem to help with or solve? Then, gather Maker materials such as toilet paper rolls, cardboard and masking tape to design and build initial prototypes to address that problem. It could be as simple as a door being able to stay open. Students are incredibly creative and can offer unique ideas. They will start to put themselves in the situation of the needs of the problem. This process, the design thinking cycle, brings the compassionate perspec- tive to engineering. Helping students create and produce a newscast: Broadcast journalism is about stor y telling. It 's impor tant to talk to stu- dents about credibilit y in sources, especially with fake news trending. Digital citizenship is also a con- tinuous discussion. The most impor tant piece is to help students be curious about the world and be able to research that curi- osit y and tell the stor y in a way that engages your targeted audience. 23 A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 017