My name is Monique Simmons and from a very young age I knew I wanted to be of service to others. I had a natural aptitude to teach and started teaching my younger brothers everything I learned in school. I was such a good teacher that when they started school they were grades ahead of the other children. My desire to serve others and my natural gift of teaching destined me to become and educator. I have more than 20 years of experience educating diverse students and working in both formal and informal educational settings. I am licensed in Biology, General Science, Earth Science , and Special Education. I currently teach High School Biology and Earth/Environmental Science to students ranging from honors to learning challenged. I am currently doing an internship at NC Go Global, a nonprofit organization that provides immersive international experiences for North Carolina teachers. I am passionate about working to close the opportunity gap in education by providing meaningful and relevant educational experiences to all students. My focus on STEM and global education evolved from this fundamental purpose. Teachers with an international perspective in their classrooms provide students opportunities to develop skills that will give them an advantage in this increasingly globalized world economy, and to problem-solve on global issues now and in the future. I have traveled to school systems in different countries and have brought those experiences back to my students. As a STEM teacher, my students are exposed to the many disciplines in science and technology through activities and projects centered on real life work done by STEM professionals.
I believe that students thrive best in learning environments that embrace equity, provide real world learning opportunities, and encourage expression of different perspectives.