STEAM Engine

The two conductors of this STEAM Engine are Jenna and Susie. Combined we have over 17 years of elementary classroom teaching experience. Both of us started as science teachers to K-5 students and are now working in different roles in education.

We believe students learn best through project and inquiry based learning. We want them to work hard and also play hard. We do our best to keep lessons student driven and fun, while teaching NGSS and Common Core standards as well as hitting our district expectations and curriculum.

Both of us received our district “Golden Apple” recognition award. We received the “Kids for the Bay” award given to teachers in the San Francisco Bay Area for their work with students in studying and saving the ecology of the Bay. We were asked at our site to develop and model lessons at other grade levels to help develop and add to their science lessons and comfort with teaching science. We were a part of the early adopters of NGSS with K12 Alliance in California receiving training in unit planning, 5E lesson creating, and leadership. We provided and presented both site based and district based staff development. We were district GATE liaisons for our site.

Jenna: Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from UC Berkeley Susie: Bachelor of Science in Zoology from UC Davis, Masters in Healthcare Management from Golden Gate University, Masters in Education from University of Phoenix

We were grade level team members for over five years and worked seamlessly together with our six 4th grade classes as well as our site with over 800 students. Our bonus is we’ve been cousins through marriage for 20+ years, so our families are intertwined and we are excited to share this adventure together. We love teaching and love science and all things STEAM. Our hope is to make STEAM lessons more accessible to others. We are looking forward to getting the engine STEAMing ahead to the future.