Ariel Serkin

Walpole, MA | 7-12, Science, 2021

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

I am motivated to contribute to excellence in STEM education because of the joy I feel in helping prepare the next generation of curious, inquisitive, and critical thinkers. I love working to other educators to develop best practices and find new ways to help out students grow and learn.

What has been the most transformative moment that affirmed your impact on STEM education?

A colleague walked into my inclusion chemistry classroom several years ago while my students collaborated and wrote on large, 2’ x 3’ whiteboards. She turned to me and said, “Ariel, they’re talking.” “I know.” I replied. “They’re really talking.” “I know.” “They’re really talking about science.” “I know. That’s what we do here; we talk about science.” It was at that moment that I knew that I could change how my students thought about their own learning and how my colleagues perceived what out students could do,

Biography

Ariel Serkin has been teaching since 2001, most recently as a 9th-12th grade chemistry teacher at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS). Prior to joining CRLS in 2021, she spent four years teaching chemistry and physics at Norfolk County Agricultural High School and taught chemistry and history courses in districts across Massachusetts. When Ariel started teaching chemistry after a decade as a history teacher, she looked for ways to take her skills as a historian and bring chemistry alive. Through Modeling Instruction, students were able to develop conceptual models through experimentation, use of whiteboards, and classroom discussions. Trained as a Modeling Instruction leader in 2018, Ariel has led numerous workshops for the American Modeling Teachers Association (AMTA), STEMteachersMassBay, New England Association of Chemistry Teachers, and at local, regional, and national conferences. She focuses on expansive pedagogical techniques that put all students at the center of their learning, including Modeling Instruction, standards-based grading, and bridging the gap between secondary educators and higher education. Ariel currently serves as president for STEMteachersMassBay and has served as regional representative for the American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT) and on the executive board of the New England Association of Chemistry Teachers (NEACT). She also writes for ChemEdXchange. She is the 2020 AACT high school Chemistry Teacher of The Year and the 2021 recipient of AMTA's Malcolm Wells Leadership Award. She is a part of the 2025 Kivunim Fellowship for Secondary Educators in Morocco. Ariel has a B.A. from Brandeis University in history and an M.Ed. from Concordia University in science education. She is licensed to teach chemistry and history.

High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

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