Future Science Teacher Award: Grace Shiffrin

Meet Grace Shiffrin

This award means a lot. It recognizes my hard work and validates my career path. My educational journey has not been easy. I struggled academically for a long time because I am neurodivergent. I often felt "othered" in school. I was in special education classes in elementary school, a lower math class, and had to take Biology twice. However, I slowly overcame that inner dialogue with the help of talented and dedicated educators. I began to thrive in high school after taking an environmental science course, which led to a shift in my attitude toward school, where I went from merely tolerating school to loving learning in an academic setting. This award recognizes my transformation from a struggling student into a scientist and educator. My educational journey was a team effort involving my mom, who advocated for me; my tutors, who challenged me to learn new skills; my teachers, who shaped my relationship with learning; and me, who persisted despite my learning challenges and ultimately discovered a passion for science and teaching. Today, as a new science educator I’m looking forward to using my knowledge and skill set to inspire my students the way my past teachers have inspired me.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in science education?
I think many science educators are products of the system. They learn scientific facts and then report those facts to their students. This system has worked for many years, but I believe that to be successful, all science educators must be scientists themselves. Specifically, we teach the scientific method, but as teachers, we must approach our classes with curiosity. We must collect data on our students and analyze which approaches help them and which they do not respond to. Similarly, we need to teach our students to be scientists. Often, the curriculum may seem disconnected from the everyday science being conducted by researchers. We need to teach our students to see their class inquiry and exploration as “real” science and bridge that connection for them. So in summary, don't just teach science facts: inspire curiosity and approach teaching as a scientist.

What’s next for you?
I am looking forward to being hired as a full-time science teacher. I’m excited to have my own classroom and teach different science classes. I’m eager to build relationships with my students and get to know the school community. I’m looking forward to the everyday. I’m ready to tackle the challenges as they come, such as adjusting my curriculum for each period and learning new tools that could help my students learn better, as well as addressing the random issues that pop up. I’m eager to see my students grow throughout the year. In the future, I’m excited to see my students graduate high school and to teach multiple generations of students.

What is the word that best describes you and why?
Curiosity! I’ve always noticed the small things, and I believe that my attention to detail has fueled my curiosity about the natural world. This curiosity has been the foundation of my relationship with science and my love of learning.