This video was originally published by our partners at iteach, a part of our parent company K12 Coalition, on December 8, 2022.
Meet Apoorva Panidapu, Chief STEAM Advisor and Global Ambassador of the Girls Leadership Academy Meetup (GLAM). As an advocate for girls’ leadership and STEAM education, Apoorva has seen firsthand how effective communication and active listening can create meaningful learning experiences for students.
In this short clip from our partners at iteach, Apoorva talks about the impact of her favorite teachers.
See the Potential in Your Students
We asked Wendy Amato, Teaching Channe’s Chief Academic Officer to tell us more about the importance of STEM in the classroom.
“Apoorva hits the nail on the head when she notes that good teachers see the potential within students. This mindset is particularly important in STEM and STEAM because these fields often require experimentation, learning from mistakes, and simply exploring without a predetermined destination.
For some students who are used to memorization, right/wrong questions, or bite-sized learning, it can be especially important to hear from a teacher that creative problem-solving, multiple paths to an outcome, and sustained thinking are all highly-valued qualities in learners. These are the learners who become leaders! These are the learners who take on the challenges that have the most significant outcomes.
Teachers who see the potential within students are more likely to nurture and nourish inquisitive minds, spontaneity, and out-of-the-box thinking. They know that a good education is not about cranking students through a system that whittles everyone into the same end product; instead, they know that a good education is about creating the structure and support that enables a student’s unique potential to be fully realized. STEM and STEAM thrive at the intersection of knowledge, skill, and inspiration.”
About iteach
iteach is a competency-based educator preparation program helping to fill the void the nation faces with the unprecedented teacher shortage. iteach enables paraprofessionals, substitute teachers, and others seeking to become teachers to get the affordable, time-saving education they need to become licensed. Their program combines the convenience of online learning with a full year of face-to-face mentorship during a teaching residency. Notably, iteach is the only non-university educator preparation program to achieve accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).