
Sarah Milianta-Laffin
STEM Lab Teacher
Hawaii Department of Education
Hawaii Department of Education
STEM Lab Teacher
I ignite a passion for STEM learning within my students, empowering them to go out and change the world.
I can't say that we have a "typical" day in teaching. Part of the profession is that you always have to be on your toes; things can change quickly. This change could be a special assembly, a fire drill, a parent phone call, or simply a lesson that is crashing and burning around you that you have to rework right away. I teach 3 90-minute blocks of STEM Lab per day, and have a homeroom and advisory class. My school day ends at 2:45, but typically I stay working until the building closes at 5.
Here's the first step for everyone
I think you really need to know your core values. What do you believe? If you believe that all students can learn - join us. If you think that kids should work in rows of desks quietly, and that you'll get to leave work at 3pm everyday, maybe this gig isn't for you. I came into teaching through "Teach for America" and they have great resources to get you thinking about alternative certification. Follow educators on Twitter, and groups like @edutopia and @edweek to learn about what's new.
"I heard a lot of subtle messages growing up that led me to believe that girls, myself included, weren't good at math and science. When I started teaching math, I was terrified that I couldn't do it. Turns out, I knew way more than I thought I did."