James Brown is a science teacher at Sand Creek Middle School in the South Colonie School District. He has been involved in advancing STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics curriculum statewide and on a national stage. He made several presentations at the 67th Annual National Conference on Science Education in St. Louis and was one of 10 teachers selected to participate in the 2019 National STEM Scholar Program in Kentucky. He has won numerous teaching awards including the NSTA Distinguished Science Teaching Award and the 2010 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Brown also received the Robert E. Yager Excellence in Teaching Award, the Gustav Ohaus Science Teaching Award, the Scadden Science Teacher of the Year Award, the SCA North America Environmental Science Award. Most recently he was a finalist for the 2021 New York State Teacher of the Year award. He and his wife live in Saratoga Springs.
Q: How do you keep a fifth or sixth grader focused on school in general and on subjects like science and math in particular?
A: Framing lessons that engage students in real world applications of content and essential skills helps keep students focused. Much of what I have students do encourages them to communicate, collaborate, think critically, make decisions, lead, learn from failures, and problem solve. Constantly reminding them of applications to the real world — in terms of the application of content and skills — to employability, keeps kids engaged.
Q: What is the biggest challenge facing education today, not including the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: The biggest challenge in education today is educating all students equitably. This is no easy task to accomplish, and it does not mean treating all students equally. We need to provide an environment where students know that to advance they need to put in the effort, yet still be flexible and provide needed support when they are struggling. We need to foster a growth mindset in students, and provide multiple avenues for students to work towards future careers.
Q: How are the students coping with the pandemic? The teachers?
A: In general, students and adults alike are doing their best to move forward in the current situation. There are many different models currently taking place in various districts as to how to implement school effectively in the COVID era. The positive is that each district is problem solving for what works best for them as no one solution fits all. After this pandemic is all over I am sure there will be a lot of reflection on what worked well, what didn’t and why. Hopefully some positives will come out of what we learn about education through that reflection. The bottom line is kids are adapting well to the changes.
Q: What is your favorite part of teaching? Least favorite?
A: My favorite parts of teaching are learning and inspiring others. Hopefully through my actions others will dream and achieve more. My least favorite part of teaching is the bureaucracy and the inability to make change when needed.
Q: You focus on STEM, why is that discipline so important in today’s day and age?
A: STEM education is important because it moves beyond students learning content in silos (of “this is Mathematics” or “this is Social Studies”) where students are focusing on one content at a time and into an area where students are developing skills along with content and using all of their skills/knowledge to solve the task at hand. It is developing students with skills and varied interests that will help them in the future. For some, the career they end up in might not currently exist, yet what they learn now will have them prepared for it when they get there.
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