Back Home, Teaching in Brooklyn
Of all the full-circle moments in my teaching journey, none have been more fitting than returning to Brooklyn to teach at a public school in my own neighborhood.
My first year in the classroom has been fantastic. I never thought waking up at 6:20 every morning would be worth it, but pursuing this career path is.
In fall of 2025, I worked as a teaching assistant in a 5th grade ICT classroom.
Each day, I worked closely with the special education teacher as she delivered differentiated instruction for students with IEPs. I worked with students individually to write down notes, to catch students up on content if they were out for a day, supported individual math partnerships, and taught whole-group lessons. I often took the Eureka Math curriculum and modified it using UDL principles to meet the needs of my students.
My background in astrophysics research, computer science, and design became remarkably relevant as I examined student work, assessing areas of strength and areas of growth. Looking closely at student data and mapping patterns was my specialty.
One of the most special parts of my time in my 5th grade ICT classroom was the relationships I built with students. From day one, I took notes on each student, paying attention to their interests. I worked hard to connect with each and every student, making an effort to connect with them through work in the classroom and outside during outdoor play and recess. On my last day, students handed me a binder where they each wrote about one of their favorite memories with me and their advice for my future. It was a really special goodbye.
As of January 2026, I began working as a 2nd grade teaching assistant and I absolutely adore it! Assistant teachers typically stay in the same classroom all year, but I really wanted to gain experience working with a younger age group in a general education setting to enhance my teaching repertoire. I used to think that this age would be too young for me, but it’s an excellent sweet spot. In this classroom, I teach 2-3 subjects every day and have taught across all subject areas, including reading, writing, math, word study, social studies, science, read aloud, and also engage in Responsive Classroom practices such as Morning Meeting.
With my 2nd graders, as with my 5th graders, my goal is the same: build meaningful relationships, pay close attention to what each student loves and where they shine, and make learning as joyful as possible.
This has been such an incredible year of growth for me as an educator and I am absolutely thrilled to take my teaching to the next level as I step into a full ICT position in my own classroom for the 2026-2027 school year.