Rachel Welch

Glenpool, OK | K-6, Science, 2022

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

My motivation to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching is deeply rooted in my belief in STEM education is essential to our future. Excellent STEM education requires students to be critical thinkers, creative, and innovators and prepares students to solve real world problems.

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

Being an early childhood educator, I have the privilege of facilitating my students’ STEM education from the beginning our their educational careers. This privilege is also an immense responsibility. I strive to foremost foster my students’ natural curiosity and wonder for the world around them. Over my career in STEM education, I have purposefully worked to shift my teaching style to require students to wonder about real world problems in our community. From this transformative shift, I have had the privilege of watching my students now look for problems in our community that they think they could help solve. Helping my students be able to see their potential in aiding the world around them drives my passion for STEM education.

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

As a Presidential Awardee, I hope to showcase the importance of quality STEM education from the beginning of our students’ educational careers. Quality STEM educational programs are essential for students to build the critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills that will be necessary for careers in the future.

Biography

Rachel Welch has been an educator for 17 years and has spent the last 11 years at Glenpool Elementary School. She spent the previous six years teaching prekindergarten and kindergarten at Chouteau Fine Arts Academy. Rachel’s love for early childhood education is evident as she has taught prekindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade. Currently, she is the kindergarten through second grade STEM educator for her entire district. In this role, Rachel organizes, plans, and implements high-quality STEM modules focused on real-world problems and applications. Authentic technology integration into all disciplines is a passion for Rachel. She has led professional development sessions at her school and her district, modeling effective uses of technology such as coding robots, creating movie trailers, and green screen technology. Rachel is an avid grant writer and has received over $90,000 in grants for hands-on materials to aid her students to gain mastery of concepts across all disciplines. She also helped co-author grants totaling over $100,000 for her school and district. She serves on a variety of committees for her district including the STEM Advisory Committee and Professional Development Committee. At a state level, she has served as the Elementary Director for OSTA which is the Oklahoma branch of NSTA. During her career, Rachel has been recognized for her dedication to teaching in many ways. Rachel was the Glenpool District Teacher of the Year in 2018 and received the same award at her previous school in 2013. In addition, she was the SKIE Innovation in Education Tulsa Regionalist Winner in 2016. Rachel has a B.S., summa cum laude, in early childhood education from Oklahoma State University. She is certified to teach pre-kindergarten through third grade.

High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

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