From Washington to Washington

8/24/2017

"The warrior of light is not afraid
to weep over ancient sorrows
or to feel joy at new discoveries.
When (s)he feels the moment has arrived
(s)he drops everything
and goes off on some long-dreamed-of adventure."
-Paulo Coelho

Our family is moving the 2,746 miles from Washington State to Washington, DC where we will live for one year while I serve as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow. I'll use this blog to post about my professional learning and activities. If you actually know me, then find me on Facebook to follow the more personal adventures of our family as we spend a year in the DC metro area.

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I’m Gretel von Bargen and I was an Einstein Fellow in the Department of Energy, Office of Science. During my fellowship year (2017-2018) I worked within the Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) office. Aligned with the goals of the WDTS office, I am committed towards creating a sustained pipeline of skilled science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workers and teachers. As a dedicated STEM educator, I work to develop my students understanding and appreciation for the nature of science and the natural world. In addition to the important work I did related to the National Science Bowl, I had three goals for my Fellowship year. First, I was looking to build relationships and connections between the scientific and education communities, aiming for increased opportunity for high school students to gain authentic experiences with practicing scientists. Second, I wanted to deepen my understanding of the complexities of the national STEM teacher shortage, specifically exploring the role active classroom teachers play in communicating the joys and challenges of a STEM teaching career. Third, I was looking to broaden my own scientific content knowledge so that students benefit from an added depth, breadth and interdisciplinary connections in future lessons.

Viewpoints are my own and not representative of the Fellowship Program or the agency in which I was placed.

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