BY TEACHERS, FOR TEACHERS,
ABOUT TEACHING
Since our first public event in January 2015, we are proud to have grown to be composed of STEM teachers from throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area and across the state of Arizona. We are always welcoming new members.
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The more diverse our members become, the better we can serve our community. Please consider becoming involved by going to our Contact page–we want to hear from you!
DISCOURSE IN THE CLASSROOM
One of the most important factors in student learning is the teacher's skill in managing classroom discourse
‘UNCOVERING’ STEM
Rather than 'covering' topics in STEM, we focus on 'uncovering' these big ideas for our students
STEM TEACHER LEADERSHIP
Teacher leaders have an understanding of leadership as a facilitation process where teachers are at the center
MULTIPLE MODES FOR LEARNING
We work to incorporate multiple representations and learning modalities while providing students the opportunity to learn about STEM
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Jennifer Cheesman
Past President
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Melissa Girmscheid - President
Melissa is currently in her 17th year as a high school physics Modeler. In 2017 she started her journey as a curriculum and workshop developer with the Computational Modeling in Physics First with Bootstrap (CMPF-B) project with the American Modeling Teachers Association and has been leading national in-person and virtual CMPF-B workshops ever since. In 2018 Melissa was named a Master Teacher Policy Fellow with the American Association of Physics Teachers and American Institute of Physics for her work in physics education advocacy. Melissa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education and a Master of Natural Science from Arizona State University and is a National Board Certified Teacher. In her day job, Melissa enjoys teaching Physics First in the Tolleson Union High School District.
Christel Bruno
President-Elect
Christel specializes in designing and leading professional learning opportunities centered on the implementation of STEM education, fostering hands-on learning, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary connections for educators and their students. For the past decade, she has facilitated professional development, including workshops with the American Modeling Teachers Association on STEM integration and, most recently, co-leading a workshop series on Modeling for the Middle School Mathematics classroom and sharing out resources with the Department of Education around their Connections for Success work. Christel holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Natural Science from Arizona State University. As a committed lifelong learner, she recently achieved her credentials as an ISTE Certified Educator and a Next Generation Science Facilitator.
Our Beginning
STEMteachersPHX began as a subsidiary of the American Modeling Teachers Association, a 501(c) non-profit organization dedicated to creating quality professional development opportunities for teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We welcome and encourage teacher attendees from across the Phoenix area, the state of Arizona, and the US. We are inspired by STEMteachersNYC.
