How a Catalyst Teacher’s Experiential Learning Units Instilled Confidence and Leadership Skills in her Students
Meet Tiara Davis, Catalyst Teacher and DSEC STEM Ambassador
“I believe that every scholar of every ethnicity and economic background has enormous potential and can contribute something unique into the classroom environment.”
Tiara Davis is a Middle School Science teacher at Wilson STEM Academy in Charlotte, N.C. She entered her ninth teaching year with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in 2021–2022. She has worked with the Citizen Schools Catalyst program since 2018 and serves as a Defense Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Consortium (DSEC) STEM Ambassador. Here, we learn about Tiara’s passion for education, STEM, and what it means to be a part of the Citizen Schools community.
Tiara’s Teaching Inspiration
I was inspired to become an educator based on my elementary school experience. I was fortunate enough to attend a free private school named St. Andrews in Richmond, VA. Mrs. Freeman, my second grade teacher, instilled in me a love for literacy and punctuation. Another teacher there, Mrs. Harrold, introduced me to a passion for Science through expressing her passion for the subject through her lessons. The teachers at that school nurtured me through all of my challenges and it was the teachers who inspired me to achieve all that I am capable of in life.
In my classroom, I strive to be that inspiration to future generations. I believe that every scholar of every ethnicity and economic background has enormous potential and can contribute something unique into the classroom environment. I strive to provide a stimulating and safe environment where I, as the teacher, will serve as a facilitator, nurturing scholar’s natural curiosity and helping them to direct their own learning.
When you think about the word community, what part of working with Citizen Schools and the Catalyst program really embodies this term?
When I think of community, I immediately think of Citizen Schools’ vision, mission, goals, and actions. By providing teachers and students with the tools, resources, and career mentors (volunteers) to implement a project-based learning unit, my school community has the opportunity to gain communication skills, confidence, and leadership. Citizen Schools Program Managers work extremely hard to provide diligent career mentors who are able to adjust to the dynamics of the classroom and are able to use their own experiences to provide support to the students in the classroom. As the students are able to collaborate, share ideas, and create projects, career mentors offer insight during the planning and implementation process of the project which offers the students valuable feedback and the opportunity to work as a team. I loved the idea of inviting community members into the classroom so much that I created a Shark Tank lesson in which I invited another group into the classroom as judges to mimic the Catalyst experience.
Talk about your work implementing the Catalyst program in your classrooms during a pandemic, what sorts of inequities did you see and how did you help navigate?
Teaching during a pandemic came with a set of challenges most educators were not prepared for. Although my school is 1:1 with laptop computers for the students, one inequity we discovered was that most students did not have access to wireless internet. The students who would connect to their courses did not fully engage in classroom lessons due to distractions in their environment, or they were burdened with helping other siblings. To combat this challenge, I tried to lecture as little as possible. Instead, I offered problem-based and project-based lessons. I also attempted to gamify the classroom content through the use of virtual escape rooms and academic games. As a school, we conducted door-to-door outreach efforts that stemmed from loss of student contact. During our Catalyst lessons, we noticed that engagement levels went up. The excitement of presenting their research allowed for the students to excel in their research so that they could master their presentations.
What are some of your favorite student projects?
During the pandemic, we implemented the Metabolism unit virtually. This unit was one of my favorite units to implement due to the instant connections students were able to make by identifying close friends or relatives who may have struggled with a metabolic disorder. I believe that this deep connection led to high engagement and quality research which led to great presentations. The students were able to conduct research and present their findings using virtual tools. One student incorporated a lot of creativity by making a breaking news interview in which she included data, defined terms and explained the differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This student was able to elaborate on diabetes and how it affects her community specifically by interpreting data gathered from her research. It was nice to see her take up a deep interest in this unit because normally she tends to shy away from speaking up in class. As a teacher, watching her seize the opportunity to reach outside of her comfort zone and become the expert on her topic was a rewarding experience.
What about your own school community really empowers you to use Catalyst units? What support systems do you have in your district?
As a teacher in a Title I school, resources and experiences are areas that my school community often lacks. My students rarely get the opportunity to ask questions or receive insight from professionals working in any career field. Becoming a Catalyst teacher has allowed me to bring in resources as well as career insight into my classroom. Through the Catalyst units, my students experience project-based learning at its finest.
By implementing the units into my classroom, my students gain unique access to community mentors who engage in the classroom content with them while sharing their expertise in the field they work. They finish the unit knowing exactly how the subject applies to the real world and gain insight into the interesting careers of the mentors. Within the support of my school district, I have the flexibility to design my course as I see fit.
ABOUT DSEC
DSEC is a collaborative partnership that aims to broaden STEM literacy and develop a diverse and agile workforce with the technical excellence to defend our Nation. By addressing and prioritizing critical STEM challenges, DoD is investing in evidence-based approaches to inspire and develop the Nation’s science and technology workforce. Through strategic investment in STEM education and outreach activities, DSEC will provide students with more exposure to educational and career opportunities, as well as DoD research. DSEC is led on behalf of DoD STEM by RTI International. For more information, visit https://dodstem.us/stem-programs/partners.
ABOUT CITIZEN SCHOOLS
For over 25 years, Citizen Schools has been a pioneer in educational equity. They have provided hands-on learning experiences that ignite curiosity, build confidence, and expand horizons for over 50,000 middle school students in underrepresented communities. Together with their partners, including 25,000 career mentors, they have exposed students to new ideas and connections. Centered on Teacher Professional Development, our Catalyst program model combines core elements to support teachers and diverse career mentors in the delivery of high-quality experiential learning to middle school students.