Thoughts on High School STEM Classes: Sheila Flores

I really wasn’t fond of STEM classes in high school because I never excelled in them growing up. Since I associated a negative stigma to these classes I got decent grades to pass them. I always felt like these classes where so hard and I was never going to master them. Chemistry was really difficult to understand with the teacher I had my first trimester. He ended up getting fired because of other reasons, but we ended up getting another teacher. 

Many students I knew did not like Ms. King who had previously taken her chemistry class before.  I remembering walking into her class prepared for the worst. I realized the only reason my classmates didn't like her was because she was the first teacher that didn't baby us around. She treated us like college students because she wanted to prepare us when it came to actually attend college. She taught us many things beyond chemistry, which I will always carry with me. She loved science and she cared about us as students and taught us well, but also encouraged us to invest in our own learning. She would always tell us that if we felt like we weren’t being taught, that we should refer back to the state curriculum to see if she was meeting the standards. I ended up passing the regents with a 75, which I would have never gotten if she hadn’t come into my life. In my opinion, teachers are an integral part that will help us decide if we want to partake in STEM field.

If you are currently taking STEM classes or are going to take them because they interest you, ask around about the teachers and their teaching methods to see which one best fits you. I feel that if a teacher is really passionate about the subject and enjoys teaching, they will put their share together with your share, you will succeed and fuel your passion for the STEM fields.​