I hope to utilize the Knowles Community as an essential support system in my teaching. I want to be challenged by other Knowles Fellows to be the best teacher I can be. By keeping an open mind and seeking out diverse perspectives, I can grow in new ways that I’ve never even dreamed of.
Veronica’s Story
Teaching Discipline
Biology
Why Biology
When I came to understand biology, everything clicked for me. I could finally understand (or make educated guesses) the world around me and my body. This was incredibly empowering for me, and I started to feel like a scientist. I hope to ignite those connections in my students to make science meaningful in their lives.
Professional Experience
During her undergraduate studies, Veronica was an Undergraduate Research Fellow for three years in the SyBBURE Searle program at Vanderbilt University, and she studied the effects of yeast-encapsulated photosensitive insecticides on Anopheles gambiae, Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae, and E. coli bacteria in the Hillyer lab. Veronica also completed one year of student teaching in high school biology and seventh-grade science.
Veronica will start her first year teaching science at George Washington High School, Philadelphia, PA in the 2024-2025 school year.
Hobbies
In her free time, Veronica loves to crochet and knit. She used to sell handmade cat and dog sweaters. She also enjoys cooking, baking, watching horror movies and trashy TV shows, drawing, and hanging out with friends.
Academic Background
- Vanderbilt University ( Bachelor of Science in Biology Sciences and Secondary Education)
Resources
-
Blog Problematizing Frameworks for Emerging MultilingualsTeaching immigrant students involves adapting to unpredictable arrivals and varied backgrounds. Frameworks help, but personal insights from students often guide the best support.
View Resource -
Blog Where are Teachers in the Conversation About Education?Teachers’ voices are crucial but often overlooked in education policy discussions. By sharing their experiences and insights, teachers can influence and improve educational practices.
View Resource -
Blog The Counter-Intuitive Benefits of Teacher Leadership: Staying Sane and SustainedBeginning teachers may resist leadership roles, but engaging in them boosts their confidence, job satisfaction, and reduces stress, benefiting both them and their students.
View Resource -
Blog Bringing Teacher Voice to the TableTeachers are struggling with a rigid, mandated math curriculum that limits their autonomy and contributes to high teacher turnover. They need more say in decisions affecting their classrooms.
View Resource -
Blog Enriching Student Learning Through Cross-Disciplinary CollaborationA teacher reflects on a successful Socratic seminar, highlighting how cross-disciplinary collaboration and shared literacy strategies enhance student learning and engagement.
View Resource -
Blog Use Your Story: Teacher Learning Through StorytellingThe blog highlights how storytelling, as showcased in KSTF’s *Kaleidoscope*, helps teachers reflect on and improve their practices, fostering growth and understanding in education.
View Resource -
Blog What Does it Mean for Teachers to be the Primary Agents of Educational Improvement?Since 2002, KSTF has focused on developing teacher leadership, showing that teachers are key to driving educational improvement through collaboration and self-initiative.
View Resource -
Blog Assessing Individual Roles in Collaborative RelationshipsKSTF emphasizes that teacher leadership isn’t just for experienced educators; early-career teachers can lead by improving collaboration and student learning.
View Resource -
Blog What is the Most Important Thing We Can Teach Out Students? Ask How We Know What We KnowA science teacher aims to inspire curiosity and self-awareness in students, emphasizing the importance of understanding how we know what we know beyond memorizing facts.
View Resource -
Blog Leadership Without Followership: Teachers as Leaders in Educational ImprovementTeacher leadership is evolving from traditional top-down models to a distributed approach where teachers lead by first changing themselves to inspire broader change.
View Resource -
Blog What is the Most Important Thing We Can Teach Our Students? A Plea For CompassionBeing “college and career ready” goes beyond skills; it’s about fostering compassion. Teachers should prioritize understanding and empathy to truly prepare students for life.
View Resource -
Blog What is the Most Important Thing We Can Teach Our Students? No One ThingDetermining the “most important” thing to teach is challenging. Ultimately, valuing students and making them feel valued is crucial for effective learning.
View Resource -
Blog What is the Most Important Thing We Can Teach Our Students? The Language of PowerA high school science teacher reflects on teaching beyond content, emphasizing that the true goal is equipping students with the “language of power” to engage critically with the world.
View Resource -
Blog More than a Case Study: Optimism in the Biology ClassroomAfter a student lost his battle with cancer, a teacher reflects on using biology lessons on cancer to offer hope and understanding, honoring the student’s memory.
View Resource -
Blog Making the Best of Winter to Teach Engineering DesignTo combat senioritis and engage students, a teacher created a snowshoe-building project integrating physics, engineering, and math, leading to enthusiastic participation and deeper learning.
View Resource -
Blog Three Ways to Squash Curiosity (And Three Ways to Foster it)To spark student curiosity, avoid answering every question immediately, teach thematically, and pose questions with no known answers.
View Resource -
Blog Collective Teacher AgencyKSTF is exploring how collective agency—groups working towards shared goals—can drive educational improvement and impact through its networked community.
View Resource -
Blog Backbone Teachers: The Importance of a Networked CommunityKSTF’s Backbone Teachers are early-career educators trained as leaders. The KSTF network enhances practice, advocacy, and problem-solving in education.
View Resource -
Blog The Role of Evaluation in a Learning OrganizationKSTF’s evaluation focuses on continuous learning and improvement, prioritizing ongoing questions and transparency over fixed targets and accountability.
View Resource -
Blog Optimizing Student Learning with Complex InstructionKSTF explores how Complex Instruction (CI) can enhance equity in groupwork, helping all students engage more equally and effectively in learning tasks.
View Resource -
Blog Modeling at the Intersection of Learning and TeachingThe blog discusses how model-based teaching reflects our natural process of creating and using mental models to understand phenomena, enhancing STEM education through authentic, iterative practices.
View Resource