Welcome back for another exciting episode of Teaching STEM #4Real! Today we are thrilled to be joined by Dr. Neil Gupta, superintendent of Oakwood School District in Oakwood, Ohio.
Dr. Gupta has over 25 years of experience in education, starting as a high school math teacher and later serving as an assistant principal, curriculum director, and superintendent. He is passionate about educational leadership, coaching administrators, developing improvement systems, and supporting the whole child.
In this episode, Dr. Gupta shares insights from his unique bird's eye view of the education system. We discuss challenges around creating interdisciplinary learning opportunities, equity and access in STEM, the school-to-STEM career pipeline, and much more.
A few key takeaways:
On creating interdisciplinary learning: Collaboration across subjects helps students develop thinking dispositions and apply their learning to real-world contexts. Leaders must give teachers permission to teach across disciplines.
On diversity in STEM: Assume that all students have potential for STEM. Survey students on why they do or don't take certain classes. Give student groups autonomy to lead STEM initiatives, rather than running them top-down.
On implicit biases: Reflect critically on who is represented in your classroom - posters, quotes, guest speakers. This helps all students envision themselves pursuing STEM careers.
On systemic change: You can't do it alone. Rally a coalition of educators, students, and community members to drive transformation.
Get ready for an insightful discussion on the state of STEM education!
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Teaching STEM #4Real is a podcast dedicated to #4Real conversations on educational equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education hosted by Dr. Leena Bakshi McLean. If you’re interested in exploring what anti-racism and socially just instruction looks like in our classrooms, schools, and beyond, you are in the right place. Dr. Bakshi is also the founder of the non-profit, STEM4Real. Please visit our website for information on how to partner with us. Thank you for helping us make STEM, #4Real.
