Seminars

Spring 2024

This seminar was focused on what it means to be a culturally responsive teacher. To start the seminar, students drew STEM teachers, and then we talked about what our drawings revealed about our own beliefs about what it means to be a STEM teacher.

Students learn about common acronyms in teaching cultural awareness

Teaching STEM to Diverse Students: What it Means to be Relevant, Responsive, and Sustaining

Picture of Demetrice Smith-Mutegi with accompanying caption.
This seminar introduced and compared commonly used terms and concepts in education, including culturally relevant pedagogy, culturally responsive teaching, and culturally sustaining pedagogy.

Uncovering and Addressing Unconscious Bias in the STEM Classroom

The initial seminar delved into the often-unseen world of unconscious bias, exploring its pervasive influence in classrooms, workplaces, and beyond. GEMS participants grappled with the complex realities of these hidden assumptions, honing their skills in self-reflection and developing proactive strategies to combat bias in STEM learning environments. Through a blend of discussion and practical tools, they gained the power to recognize, understand, and actively dismantle the barriers that can hinder student success.

Strategies for Inclusive STEM Teaching

The second seminar pivoted towards the practical, with MonarchTeach and GEMS participants joining forces with MT staff to tackle real-world problems of practice (POPs). This collaborative journey saw a POP presenter (GEMS Sprout) receive invaluable insights and actionable strategies from the collective wisdom of the group, empowering them to address their specific challenge with greater clarity and confidence. The seminar also flourished with an exploration of inclusive teaching strategies, ranging from collaborative learning and culturally relevant practices to differentiated instruction and the principles of universal design for learning (UDL). This multifaceted approach equipped participants with a diverse toolkit to foster equitable and engaging learning environments for all students.