TEACHER PROFILE // 02.22.21
Brandy netherton |
Who i amI have a background in Civil Engineering, but chose to go into teaching because it better aligned with my strengths & passions. I am now an accomplished science educator with a focus on learner growth through personalized learning experiences. Passion for innovation in the classroom and improving the lives of others. Strong desire to make a positive difference in education by helping educators improve their practice & making policy changes to allow for more innovation at the school level. |
Volunteering & organizations
I enjoy helping others and one way I accomplish that is through volunteering. I have logged over 300 hours of volunteer GED tutoring, one of my favorite ways to volunteer my time. I had the pleasure of volunteering for Surfers for Autism when I lived in Daytona Beach, FL. I have also enjoyed helping clear out nature trails at various parks. The most recent volunteer activity I have participated in is making sandwiches and putting meal bags together with Tango Tab's Feed the City project. It has been an absolute joy.
Back when I was still involved with engineering, I served as an officer in two different organizations. The first was in college when the dean of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) decided to put together an Undergraduate Women's Council with the purpose of female retention in the major. I was an officer that first year and president the second. I helped put together several events with the purpose of building more community and belonging in the department, specifically targeting females, but including a mix of students depending on the event. I even had the pleasure of presenting our organization to the board to show them the importance of the council as well as what we had accomplished so far.
Another engineering organization I was heavily involved with was the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). I was an active member all throughout college and I became an officer of the Pensacola, FL branch when I worked at an engineering firm in the city. I helped plan and run events as well as ran the group's Instagram account (for a short time).
Back when I was still involved with engineering, I served as an officer in two different organizations. The first was in college when the dean of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) decided to put together an Undergraduate Women's Council with the purpose of female retention in the major. I was an officer that first year and president the second. I helped put together several events with the purpose of building more community and belonging in the department, specifically targeting females, but including a mix of students depending on the event. I even had the pleasure of presenting our organization to the board to show them the importance of the council as well as what we had accomplished so far.
Another engineering organization I was heavily involved with was the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). I was an active member all throughout college and I became an officer of the Pensacola, FL branch when I worked at an engineering firm in the city. I helped plan and run events as well as ran the group's Instagram account (for a short time).
Vision of an effective educator
Brandy Netherton, 21 Feb 2021
Being an effective teacher takes a lot of work, dedication, patience, and a willingness to learn and grow. In addition to these traits, some key elements will contribute to being an effective teacher. These elements include careful and precise goal-oriented planning, focus on student-centered learning, and incorporating technology into lessons and assignments.
"A plan should be made for everything from baking a cake to total world domination." (1) Teaching a lesson falls in that spectrum and the more detailed the plan, the more effective the lesson. Goal-oriented planning will ensure that students are meeting the specific achievements they need in order to be successful in their academic career. In addition to the basic plan, a back-up plan should be made to cover any technology failures, a plan should be made for students who finish early, a plan should be made for students who struggle to understand the material, and emergency plans should be made for a substitute in case of an un-planned absence.
Including technology in the planning and execution of the lesson allows for easier collaboration with peers, streamlines organization, and makes the lesson more relatable to students. Teaching students to search for information on the web is a skill that will translate to all aspects of their education. Allowing students to use apps to complete assignment will get them more engaged and expand their technology savviness - something that is becoming crucial in today's workforce. Entering in data in excel or google sheets and depicting the data as a graph, for example, will help students learn two importation skills: how to read graphs and how to summarize and show large amounts of data. Technology is something students use every day, making it essential to incorporate in the classroom.
It is important to present information to students in ways that will deepen their understand and allow them to retain the information. Traditional lectures are outdated. While some of the information will stick with many of my students, most of the information will not, and I will have several students that don't retain any of that information. It should be a teacher's goal to empower students to take control of their own learning so they can succeed in any learning environment and become life-long learners. Many methods can be used to help students have more power over their own learning, including project based learning, mastery-based grading, self-pacing, student voice & choice in how they either obtain or practice information, blended instruction, and reflection on learning.
Although these elements do not alone make an effective teacher, it is impossible to be an effective teacher without them. Teachers are learners - we are constantly honing our strengths and learning to incorporate essential elements into our classes. We research, plan, and execute based on what works and what is best for our students. These elements are the foundation for effective teaching and once established, can be built upon for even better results.
"A plan should be made for everything from baking a cake to total world domination." (1) Teaching a lesson falls in that spectrum and the more detailed the plan, the more effective the lesson. Goal-oriented planning will ensure that students are meeting the specific achievements they need in order to be successful in their academic career. In addition to the basic plan, a back-up plan should be made to cover any technology failures, a plan should be made for students who finish early, a plan should be made for students who struggle to understand the material, and emergency plans should be made for a substitute in case of an un-planned absence.
Including technology in the planning and execution of the lesson allows for easier collaboration with peers, streamlines organization, and makes the lesson more relatable to students. Teaching students to search for information on the web is a skill that will translate to all aspects of their education. Allowing students to use apps to complete assignment will get them more engaged and expand their technology savviness - something that is becoming crucial in today's workforce. Entering in data in excel or google sheets and depicting the data as a graph, for example, will help students learn two importation skills: how to read graphs and how to summarize and show large amounts of data. Technology is something students use every day, making it essential to incorporate in the classroom.
It is important to present information to students in ways that will deepen their understand and allow them to retain the information. Traditional lectures are outdated. While some of the information will stick with many of my students, most of the information will not, and I will have several students that don't retain any of that information. It should be a teacher's goal to empower students to take control of their own learning so they can succeed in any learning environment and become life-long learners. Many methods can be used to help students have more power over their own learning, including project based learning, mastery-based grading, self-pacing, student voice & choice in how they either obtain or practice information, blended instruction, and reflection on learning.
Although these elements do not alone make an effective teacher, it is impossible to be an effective teacher without them. Teachers are learners - we are constantly honing our strengths and learning to incorporate essential elements into our classes. We research, plan, and execute based on what works and what is best for our students. These elements are the foundation for effective teaching and once established, can be built upon for even better results.
1 - "Tinker" by Wen Spencer