Tell us about yourself! 

I am Asian Indian—my parents immigrated from India a few years before I was born. They taught me to love school, so I never left! I am a lifelong learner. I have a master’s degree in reading, an ESL certification, and am nationally board certified. I spent 12 years as a prekindergarten teacher, and since the 2023–2024 school year, I’ve been a STEM teacher working with the 4-year-old preschoolers in the school. My hope is that teachers are inspired by children’s STEM learning and incorporate what I do in their own practice. 

How do you take care of yourself?  

I take care of myself by spending time with family and friends, reading, and dancing. I love traveling and experiencing new places, cultures, and food. One of our family’s goals is to visit all 63 United States National Parks! I also enjoy getting massages to help me relax. 

Please tell us about the setting where you teach.  

I teach at a preschool–3rd grade public school in Chicago. I spent 12 years as a prekindergarten teacher, but for the 2023–2024 school year, I took a position as a STEM teacher. I go into preschool classrooms to work with children during one-hour sessions. A typical STEM session might begin with a read aloud, a whole-group lesson, or an introduction to the new materials that we’ll use later in an activity. Afterward, the children choose which stations they’d like to explore and are welcome to stay for as long as they’d like during a session. I design station activities to engage the children in the STEM content that we’re working on. A station might involve children drawing depictions of STEM-related concepts, practicing commands with one of our programmable robots, or building with LEGOs.  

There are always two educators in a classroom, so if a child needs help, either the teacher’s assistant or the special education assistant and I can support them. However, we want to give children the opportunity to investigate, explore, and problem solve on their own. We also engage in whole-group experiences together. For example, when we studied catapults, I made catapults with the children while the other educators walked around to help troubleshoot issues that came up.  

What impact does STEM education have on young children’s development and learning? 

I’ve seen a lot of growth in the children this year, especially in those working on the ability to explain their ideas using language. When the children in my class tinker and make, they move around and build with materials. Some of the children, who might be hesitant to talk in class, enjoy STEM activities like programming robots. Although they may not be able to tell me in words that the robot will go straight and then turn left, they can show me.  

I’ve also seen the children grow in their ability to collaborate. At the beginning of the year, we discussed how the engineering design process involves working with peers, and we practiced learning in pairs and in small groups. The children have come to understand that when they work with others, they can gain more ideas. 

What has helped you to design and implement a STEM curriculum with young children? 

Currently, there seems to be a conflict between standards- and play-based learning. I have found that STEM content allows educators to invest in play and address standards at the same time. It’s also fun to be creative with children. I included STEM instruction as a prekindergarten teacher and saw how beneficial it can be for learners.  

I use a combination of Creative Curriculum and my own teacher-created units. For example, one of the units I designed is about the five senses. At the beginning of the year, we talked about using our senses to make observations as we engaged in STEM experiences. Another unit, from Creative Curriculum, focuses on simple machines. We went through different types of simple machines and constructed examples of each—we made little cars, catapults, pulleys, and levers. We also talked about common examples of simple machines that we use regularly, like scissors.  

I’m also always looking for professional development resources, which I’m able to attend because I apply for grants and get some funding from my school district. What I’ve learned through professional development has really helped me hone my planning and teaching around STEM. For example, I attended a training about engaging young children in the engineering design process using hands-on materials like LEGOs and another about specific ways to use Bee-Bots, which are programmable robots that allow young children to easily input commands as a way to teach them about coding concepts.  

How do you support the emergent multilingual learners you teach?  

Our school community includes families who have recently immigrated to the United States. Because the children I teach speak various home languages, it’s helpful that STEM content allows for multimodal approaches. For example, we regularly sing a song about the engineering process that the children love. It helped them to understand and remember the steps in the engineering process and to see themselves as engineers, which is my goal.  

Many children in our school primarily speak Spanish. Spanish-speaking staff help support children and colleagues in content area learning. For example, when we were making windmills out of manipulatives, a child wanted to know what the Spanish word for windmill was, and a Spanish-speaking teacher assistant found and shared it with the child. We work together to be responsive to children’s home languages as the children engage in STEM.  

How do you explain complex STEM-related concepts and vocabulary to young children?  

I want the children to know terms that are used in STEM fields. For example, when teaching about computers, I used words like input, output, and processing. I use STEM vocabulary in conversations with children and when implementing activities to help support their language development. While facilitating activities on spin, lift, and drag, I used those words. I integrate images and movement to showcase the meaning of the engineering design process and to explain STEM-related vocabulary words, such as bug and code. These are strategies I’ve learned through practice and professional development.  

What strategies or approaches do you use to build upon children’s individual and family strengths, cultural backgrounds, and experiences? 

While I don’t get to know families as well as I did when I taught a single class, I still find multiple ways to connect with families. For example, I show what we do at school through photos and videos, which families access through the school’s communication app. I send recordings and pictures to all the families in a classroom or to individual families, depending on the lesson or activity. For example, I share when a child is good at programming a robot, loves certain building materials, or does a great job making a catapult. I talked with one family about how their child, Jacob, configured small magnetic cubes with different functions (such as batteries, wheels, or lights) to construct a train and a lighthouse. The other children approached him and asked about how he built his structures. His skill in designing these creations allowed him to demonstrate leadership. His family thanked me for these observations, explaining that he sometimes struggled with learning and interacting with peers. I am able to communicate with families about all the ways their children are capable and active STEM learners.  

What is something important a child has taught you? 

Children teach me to slow down. As an adult, I get caught up in the requirements of the day. Almost daily, children teach me that it’s okay if I don’t get to everything I’ve planned. It’s much more important to be present for their learning, which happens at their pace. When I slow down and meet them where they are, I find that they engage more deeply, and I can more fully observe and appreciate their individual strengths and interests. This allows me to tailor my teaching to them and to create more meaningful learning experiences. Ultimately, the children remind me that learning is not just about covering content; it's about fostering curiosity, exploration, and joy in the journey of discovery. 

What is your proudest accomplishment as an educator?  

My proudest accomplishment as an educator is when a child gets it. I can think of one child, Ethan, who struggled with confidence. During our robotics unit, he discovered a passion for building and problem solving. With my encouragement and support, he was able to show other students how to program their Bee-Bots. By the end of the unit, he had mastered the STEM concepts and gained a newfound sense of confidence and self-esteem. Reflecting on the impact of my teaching, I felt an immense sense of pride in seeing his growth and success. This accomplishment wasn't just about academic achievement; it was about nurturing the whole child and instilling a lifelong passion for exploration and discovery. 

Share a recent situation in which things didn’t go as planned. What happened, and what did you do to make the most of it for you and the children?  

A recent situation is when we tried to make parachutes. My plan was to have the children engage with the concept of drag by using one of the LEGO figures, Izzy, who they were already familiar with. Izzy loved to try new things, so her next adventure was going to be skydiving. I had the children decorate coffee filters with markers. Then we used strings to tie the parachute onto Izzy. However, we soon discovered that Izzy got tangled in the string, and the parachute didn’t provide enough drag to slow the figure down much. The children decided to use different materials to help Izzy skydive—examining how length and weight affected the process and results. We tried different lengths of strings, pipe cleaners, and paper instead of coffee filters. It became a lesson on the engineering design process and less so about drag. The children were so excited to try different ways to help Izzy—it actually ended up being a much richer learning experience than I had planned!  

What is a children’s book that you like to share with the children in your setting and what impact has it had on their learning?   

One of my favorite books to share with children is Not a Box, written and illustrated by Antoinette Portis. This seemingly simple book has so many lessons for children. It encourages creativity and celebrates the uniqueness of each child's imagination. It teaches children that it's okay to think differently and to express themselves creatively. It also fosters critical thinking by asking children to question assumptions and to inquire about the world around them. By asking "Why?" and "What if?," children learn to explore possibilities and think outside the box—literally and metaphorically. Lastly, it inspires play-based learning. Not a Box encourages open-ended, imaginative play, which is essential for children's social, emotional, and cognitive development. By engaging in pretend play inspired by the book, children learn to cooperate, communicate, and problem solve with their peers. 

I knew I had to teach when I applied for a work-study job that placed me in a Title I prekindergarten classroom during my freshman year of college. I spent the year with a class of 20 children and saw firsthand how their teacher changed their lives. I saw these children learn to interact with each other, solve conflicts on their own, and follow directions. At the end of that year, families were engaging in the practice of reading every day at home with their children and were supported in navigating the public school system. I became an early childhood educator because of the impact of this experience. 

I keep my passion or enthusiasm for teaching alive by building relationships and focusing on the true moments of happiness I’ve experienced with children, families, and colleagues. I work hard daily to find joy in the smiles, the “aha” moments, and the hugs.  

What is a future professional goal that you have for yourself? How has being a NAEYC member helped you reach this goal?  

I presented at NAEYC’s annual conference in 2022 and at Illinois AEYC’s conference in 2021. I joined colleagues from Teach Plus to present findings from a study we conducted and to promote policies to implement play-based learning in Illinois’ kindergarten classrooms. I’ll present a session at the 2024 Illinois AEYC Conference on how to communicate the value of play-based learning to families and school administrators and the challenges that may arise when doing so.  

A future professional goal of mine is to teach other teachers. I have always enjoyed mentoring and coaching and have done so by hosting student teachers and participating in other programs where I support new teachers. One day, I hope to take on a coaching role more formally by supporting teachers in their classrooms or working as a professor in a teacher preparation program. I would also love to publish a children’s book one day.  

I am a NAEYC member because I believe in the impact of being among like-minded peers. NAEYC members believe in the importance of early childhood education, and I love being surrounded by others who share that passion. 

How has being part of NAEYC positively impacted your teaching and/or interactions with children? 

A college professor advised my peers and me to join NAEYC 16 years ago, and I’ve been a NAEYC member ever since. I have learned so much through NAEYC! NAEYC provides access to resources, conferences, workshops, and publications that support ongoing professional development. For example, when I went to my first NAEYC Annual Conference, I attended sessions on loose parts, which I wanted to incorporate into my practice. By attending those sessions, I learned the language surrounding loose parts and gained knowledge and resources to use loose parts with my students. I also enjoy Teaching Young Children, and I read every issue that comes out. By staying informed about the latest research, quality practices, and trends in early childhood education, I can enhance my teaching strategies and improve outcomes for children. 

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Photographs courtesy of Anya Lopez (top image) and Lorena Amarillo (bottom image)
Copyright © 2024 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See permissions and reprints online at NAEYC.org/resources/permissions.