I am T. C. Ballard, an African-American, an honors graduate of thee Morgan State University, a graduate school student majoring in STEM Leadership at thee University of Maryland, a daughter of two University of Maryland graduates, an tenth year Montgomery County Public School teacher, an entrepreneur, owner of Totally STEM and an avid STEM education advocate. STEM will be the language of the future and it's our responsibility as educators to make certain our students can speak it! An effective and proven way to ensure students retain a concept and remain actively engaged in the learning process is to make the lessons being taught fun, meaningful and relevant to each learner specifically; STEM education allows educators like me to do this on a daily basis.
There is no other subject I enjoy more than I enjoy science and it has always been my immediate goal to foster these same enthusiasms and interests in the students I teach. Whenever I’ve asked my students what their favorite subjects are in the beginning of the year, they very rarely tell me Science. For me as a child, there was never a question. However, when I ask them again at the end of the year they smile from ear to ear and proudly proclaim Science as their new favorite. When asked why, most of them reply, “…because science is fun”.
I was born in Washington, DC to college graduates on January 18, 1983. My mother and father, both educators, always instilled in me the importance of a good education and a well-rounded lifestyle. I attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help while living in the DC area and excelled in my mathematics and science studies, so much that I took the aforementioned classes with children in grades two standard deviations above my own. I became quite the tutor in my mother’s classroom and not a day went by that I didn’t line my Barbies and Transformers up to learn a lesson I’d so thoughtfully prepared in my room, which conveniently dubbed as a classroom. Above all else I dreamed of being a teacher-astronaut, I looked up to and admired Christa McAuliffe and Mae Jemison; I wanted to see beyond the skies.
We moved to Baltimore County when I reached third grade. While there I continued to foster my knack for the sciences by participating in local and state science fairs, several of which I won, being an active participant in Odyssey of the Mind for three years and performing above and beyond my peers. In fifth grade my parents bought me my very first science kit. Conceptually, most of the contents of the set were far beyond my knowledge base, but that certainly didn’t stop me from tinkering, building and even mixing chemicals that I probably shouldn’t have. How I didn’t harm myself, I still don’t know today, but what I do know is that I gained knowledge back then that I have yet to have forgotten.
I attended Sudbrook Magnet Middle School where students have majors they study similar to
a college student at an institution. My major was Math, Science and Computer Applications. This school seemed to me to serve as a central hub for young and brilliant minds
we learned how to track hurricanes, or the time when we built and programmed Lego models, and I’ll certainly never forget designing and building bridges out of balsa wood. Most of all I’ll always remember how my teachers there seemed so dedicated to making learning fun. My interests in math and science soon motivated me to use them both practically. I decided I’d focus on being a pediatrician like another one of my idols, Mae Jemison. I attended Milford Mill Academy, a magnet school. I majored in Allied Health. For four years I diligently studied honors anatomy, physiology, kinesiology and biology with great prevail, all in preparation for what was to come if I so decided to go to medical school. While there I became a CNA, or certified nursing assistant. I also graduated in the top 5% of my class; more specifically I was number 5 in a class of over 200 students.
College is where my destiny manifested itself. I enrolled as a Computer Science major. However, after a year of studying I decided to change my major to something I’d always had a passion for….education. I decided that I wanted to be one of the fun, energetic and smart teachers I’d reveled and enjoyed as a child. I had already been working with children for eight years by the time I began my matriculation and I took my college years to add to my
work experience. I directed several summer camps and before and after school programs while there and made quite a name for myself as a firm but fair leader. I graduated cum laude from Morgan State University in May 2006. I was also inducted into Kappa Delta Pi, an honors society for educators upon graduation.
I am currently a middle school science teacher in Montgomery County Public School, where I get to educate others on my one of my first loves, Science!! While teaching over the past 16 years, I have become that teacher that I always wanted! I make lessons educational, informational and “fun-formational”. Meaning I understand what my students need to know and I know how to plan fun lessons and activities that convey the necessary information. I frequently integrate the lessons I develop, sometimes combining math with social studies, reading with social studies, math with reading etc. I take every opportunity I have, however, to find an excuse to incorporate a science lab into a lesson from any subject. Why?...simply because I believe science makes learning so much more fun, and I’ve seen it in action!
I work in a low income area of Montgomery County. Although we have many resources some are only available in certain places and given to certain people. While working here I’ve noticed the educational needs of my learning friends, I’ve also observed the community needs of the area they live in and the materials they have readily available to them. I have also noticed the countless dollars my colleagues’ and I have spent over the years making learning possible…and receiving very little to no monetary support. My observations led me to believe there was a serious need for resources and love. Wishing to somehow close the gap I developed a non-profit organization called Everybody In!!! Everybody In makes clothing, shoe, hygiene related, school material and monetary donations to teachers and students in need every year. To further assist this need I write grants every two years for my school and have received three out of the three I applied for, the latest, a STEM initiative grant for Lego Robotics kits and resources.
I believe our world is in good hands if we dedicate ourselves to teacher education, STEM awareness and application, and the academic success of each of our students.
For more information, check out my prezi!!
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