Teacher Feature: march 2024
Tacora Snell
5th Grade Math and Science Teacher
Barnard Elementary School, DCPS
1. How do you bring real world STEM challenges to life in your elementary classroom?
STEM is strongly represented in my students' classroom experiences. Inquiry, experimentation, and research are intentionlly planned monthly and weekly. While time is always a concern; we have prioritized building and coding robotics, exploring science of energy and energy transformations, and completing timed competitions where students use limited resources to solve real world challenges this school year so far.
2. What is your favorite place to bring students in the D.C. area for informal learning experiences, and why?
The Apple store offers incredible opportunities for students to visit and learn about technologies that are transforming education, healthcare, and other industries. Students explore coding as well as the versatility of apple products including iPads, robotic kits, iPhones, and MacBooks.
3. What has been your most memorable lesson, project, or activity that you have shared with students in the past year?
In the past year, I focused heavily on increasing environmental literacy and stewardship amongst students. Throughout the previous school year, students learned about recyclable materials, trends in how people in our respective community waste materials, and collaborated on ways to improve human impact on the environment. It was empowering to support students in their pursuit of enlightenment and possible solutions to environmental issues.
4. What is your favorite part about your job?
Creating learning opportunities and facilitating rich experiences that allow students to exercise creativity and logical problem solving simultaneously are my favorite parts of each day. I aim to make STEM a friend to my students; the lightbulbs that illuninate on a daily basis are proof that love and fascination for science, for answers, for pursuit of purpose are privileges we all can claim.
Thank you so much, Tacora!
