Teacher Feature: May 2023
Asta-Dianne Clark
Churchill Road Elementary, Fairfax County Public Schools
1. It sounds like you're a career switcher. Can you describe your former role within the Navy and what the transition to teaching was like?
I worked in the Navy as an Aviation Electronics Technician for 15 years. I started on EA-6B Prowlers in Whidbey Island before I transferred to the East Coast to work on F/14 A/B/D Tomcats, and then went on to F/A-18C Hornets. After my second deployment I was able to transfer to CNATTU (Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit) to train sailors how to repair F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets. I earned my AA in Electronics Technology and started working on my degree in Psychology. It was here that I came to realize I really wanted to teach as a career. This was my last tour in the Navy. I got out as an Aviation Electronics Technician First Class Petty Officer. I immediately started college and earned my BS in Psychology from Old Dominion University. My husband was still active duty and we were sent to the Panhandle in Florida. I worked as an Instructional Assistant while completing the Teacher Ready Program at the University of West Florida. 9 months later I earned my certification to teach K-6. I got my first teaching job in Kindergarten and have been teaching Kindergarten ever since. I have 6 children of my own, and enjoy the love of learning and exploration. It was such a natural fit for me to be in the classroom. Since moving to FCPS (Fairfax County Public Schools) I wanted to get my Master’s degree but could not find any programs that seemed to fit. One day I looked at George Mason University and found they offered a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction in STEM and immediately applied. I graduated in December 2021. I have been implementing STEAM regularly in my classroom for the past 3 years. I wrote and was awarded two different grants totally $3,500, for STEAM carts for my school. One is in kindergarten and one is in the library as our Bobcat Innovation Station. Next year I will be the STEAM Resource Teacher at my school and will be teaching all grade levels Kindergarten to 6th.
2. How do you approach introducing STEAM concepts to young learners?
My philosophy as a teacher is to provide meaningful hands on learning experiences for students. One of the first weeks in Kindergarten we read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. We read the book, learning about all the letters. We make our own Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Trees using the letters in our name. We end the week creating a 3D Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Tree using blocks and popsicle sticks. Their challenge is to balance as many letters as they can on the branches without them falling off. It is so fun to see how creative the students are when making their tree. I spend lots of time teaching students about the engineering process and how it is okay to do things more than once. We frequently explore the idea of planning, testing, and trying again. I partnered with the FCPS STEAM office and borrowed KEVA planks as part of a cohort who implements lessons, shares our experiences and our results. I have enjoyed learning from other grade levels and teachers within the county. I use the KEVA planks across all content areas and students have learned so much by building with their hands. One of their favorite lessons was when we were learning about shadows and they had to build a shelter for an animal to keep it cool in the summer. There are so many opportunities to be creative with lessons, it just takes a little bit of time. Just like the students I use the engineering process when creating lessons. I ask what they should learn, imagine possible solutions, plan it out, create the lesson, experiment with the students on how it all works out, and then reflect to improve the lesson for next time.
3. What has been your favorite lesson or activity that you've shared with students in the past year?
This year I partnered with George Mason University for a Computer Science lesson which uses Scratch Jr to deepen understanding to literacy. We read the 3 Little Pigs. Students then learned to code to recreate the story focusing on beginning, middle, and end. We then used the KEVA planks to create a house for all three pigs and that the wolf couldn’t get in. Students were limited on how many planks they could use and could not leave a space for the wolf to get in. They were so engaged. Some students were more concerned about design and some were concerned about functionality. In the end there is no one way to solve the problem. Students could be as creative as they wanted to be. Then they got to write their own story that they could code using Scratch Jr with their characters. I had not done coding at all prior to this experience. I was learning along with my class and it was so much fun.
4. What is one resource (online or print) that has totally changed the way you teach? Or, what is something that you have found inspirational as you plan out projects or lessons for students?
The one resource I always rely on when teaching STEAM is the Engineering Design Process. Showing students where we are in the process, and teaching them how to reflect on their ideas and make it better is the key to a great STEAM experience. I have the Engineering Design Process up in my room and we review the guiding questions with each step. In FCPS we have the Portrait of Graduate Attributes which are the vital skills students need to be successful as adults. They are Collaborator, Communicator, Goal-Directed and Resilient, Global and Ethical Citizen, and Creative and Critical Thinker. I am able to target each attribute through STEAM lessons. During my lessons students have to work together and collaborate. While they collaborate they are communicating. They may not be successful the first time, so they need be goal-directed and resilient. The plans require thought and innovation which requires them to be a creative and critical thinker. We focus on how to protect resources and the Earth which is being a global and ethical citizen. For me it is not about having to do more, but about making what I already do visible and for students to recognize their own efforts.
Thank you so much, Asta-Dianne! We can’t wait to learn with you this summer at the STEM Teacher Leadership Academy!
