Alicia Beggs

Foxborough, MA | K-6, Mathematics, 2022

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

My greatest motivation stems from cultivating student relationships and witnessing their pride as they grasp challenging concepts. Excellence in STEM teaching transcends content delivery. It's about fostering an environment where every student feels comfortable, valued, and empowered to explore, question, and reach their full potential. Through inquiry-based, hands-on experiences, I cultivate critical thinkers and problem-solvers eager to understand the world.

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

The most transformative moment affirming my impact on STEM education occurred as I embraced a greater leadership role within my school. Witnessing the positive ripple effect of mentoring new teachers and fostering collaborative professional development truly affirmed my reach beyond my own classroom. Seeing my passion for inquiry-based, hands-on STEM instruction adopted and successfully implemented by colleagues, ultimately benefiting a wider student population, was profoundly impactful. This expanded influence, extending high-quality STEM experiences to more learners through shared expertise, is incredibly rewarding.

Using your platform as a Presidential Awardee, how do you hope to advance our nation in STEM?

As a Presidential Awardee, I'll advance STEM education nationally by expanding my reach beyond my school. I plan to lead professional development, widely share effective teaching strategies and lesson ideas, and actively involve communities in STEM education. My goal is to foster a network of engaged educators and community partners, collectively inspiring more students nationwide to excel in STEM.

Biography

Alicia Beggs is a sixth grade mathematics and science teacher at John J. Ahern Middle School, where she began her career in education and has remained in the role for the past 16 years. Alicia’s goal as a teacher is to create a space where each student feels comfortable and valued and can reach their full potential. She believes in using a workshop model to differentiate content, while providing small-group instruction on targeted skills, and giving students the opportunity to choose learning activities that best meet their learning style and ability level. When introducing a new mathematics or science concept, she uses inquiry and hands-on lessons to engage the students. She believes that when students make connections independently and discover ways of solving a problem, they are more likely to understand and retain what they are learning. Alicia takes an active role in her school community, by developing curriculum and pioneering new teaching strategies, leading professional development for her district and surrounding districts, planning an annual sixth grade STEM Day, mentoring new teachers, and serving as a Student Council advisor as well as a member of various district committees. Alicia earned a B.A., summa cum laude, in elementary education and mathematics/computer science from Boston College and an M.Ed. in teaching English as a second language from Rhode Island College. She is certified in elementary education and teaching English as a second language at the elementary level.

High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

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