University of Houston alumna Heather Brown is a science teacher mentor with the UH College of Education STEM Teaching Equity Project (STEP) and a 6th-8th grade science teacher with Odyssey Academy Charter School in the Bay Area. The team-based learning method taught in STEP molded her into the teacher she is today.

The STEM Teaching Equity Project (STEP) emphasizes collaborative learning by bringing together teams of teachers from campuses and districts across Houston to share ideas and best practices.  Participants and leaders in STEP emphasize the importance of teachers working collaboratively during trainings and on their home campuses. Brown credits this methodology with shaping her teaching outlook.

“My experience at UH gave me a greater appreciation for teamwork, and I apply it daily in my classroom as well as with my colleagues,” Brown says.  As a strong advocate for team-based learning, Brown uses her experience not only to mentor students, but to also mentor emerging teachers. She embraces the diversity of her learners, who range in age and background, and molds her teaching style accordingly.

Brown’s hard work has not gone unnoticed. In addition to winning the 2015 Shell -TRC Teaching Excellence Award at the Twenty-first Annual Meeting of the Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching (TRC), her colleagues are quick to recognize how her passion for teaching takes her above and beyond. “She builds relationships with students that, in turn, fosters a love of learning within each student” says Andrew Kapral, Director of STEM Teaching Equity Project. “She spends countless hours of her own time learning the latest methods for effective teaching, expanding her personal knowledge, and training other educators.”

Brown’s aptitude for building connections between teacher and student to help her students succeed has also garnered praise in her workplace. “Heather has is the ability to teach through relationships and gain the heart of those students she comes in contact with. This everlasting impression is truly where the learning begins” says Amy Hasse-Davison, Brown’s former colleague and 5th Grade Math teacher at Alvin Elementary.

Additionally, Brown takes great care to center her lessons on what matters most to her students. “Heather impressed me with her ability to design and implement effective science lessons that maximized content, best practices, relevance to student lives, equitable instruction, and student engagement,” says Sissy Wong, one of Brown’s former professors. “She cares deeply about providing high-quality educational opportunities to her diverse student population, which was evident in her insightful responses to discussions and innovative course products.”

Heather Brown strives to reach great heights through teaching, pushing her students to advance with her. We expect to see more accolades for her in the future.