Aprenda a programar: programación para principiantes

Hello Outschool families!  Welcome to my profile.  I'm so excited to be sharing in your child's learning and enthusiasm for all things science and STEM.  

When your child enrolls in one of my courses they can expect an array of topics including animals, plants, plate tectonics, coding, engineering challenges, matter, forces and interactions, weather and much more.  Each class typically includes a group activity such as a game or an experiment. It truly is all things science and STEM and always a good time.

I have a bachelor's degree in science with a minor in anthropology as well as a master's degree in elementary education.  I have been a teacher for 10 years and began my career with special eduction, working with autistic students at the kindergarten level.  I was then a reading specialist and a 4th grade teacher.  I then earned the opportunity to design, write and teach K-5 science curriculum which I fell in love with! I taught/wrote and coached elementary science for 3 years.  Using the NGSS standards I built a curriculum that drove up national test scores in my district.  I was then offered the opportunity to teach K-5 STEM at one of the top school districts in the nation. I learned so much during my time there that I wanted to be able to share it with many more children.  Outschool has provided me that opportunity. 

In addition to all the academic learning, I constantly instill a growth mindset in my students.  One of the first things I will tell them in my class is, failure is expected.  The bridge you engineer, the volcano that does not erupt, the topic that doesn't quite make sense at first, are all part of the learning process.  Nobody learns to ride their bike the first time they try and nobody ties their shoes the first time either. So expecting to succeed right off the bat is unrealistic.  Failure is accepted but I do not accept quitting.  I want my students to build grit and perseverance and in doing so learn how to handle failure, turning it into the first step towards success.  I feel this is so important for students as they grow into adults and experience life's challenges.  In addition to a growth mindset, I keep my classes fun and interactive.  I always think, if I were a kid would this interest me and how would I want someone to teach it.  I try to build my lessons from their perspective.  Finally, at the end of each class, I will tell my students it's time to, "kiss your brains" as they have done so much thinking and learning.  I find it's a fun, consistent way to conclude our class. 

Besides teaching I enjoy spending time with my friends and family.  I have a son and daughter and a wonderful husband of almost 15 years.  We enjoy camping, boating and traveling to new places.  I'll often gather video from our adventures and share science fun facts I find along the way.  I'm also and lover of sports.  I currently play on a volleyball team, women's floor hockey team and soccer.  

I look forward to sharing my love for science and STEM with your child!  Thanks for taking the time to read my profile and as alway, kiss your brain.  

Thank you,
Erica Larson