A Ray of Science started during my third year of teaching, when a mentor and coworker took a look at the content I was creating and encouraged me to share them with other teachers. Her response was simple: “Teachers would totally buy this!” So, I figured—why not?

I’ve always loved the creative side of teaching science—figuring out how to take a complicated concept and turn it into something students could see, question, investigate, and actually understand. I was lucky to have some incredible professors and mentors who shaped the way I approached science education, and I loved collaborating with other teachers and constantly experimenting with new ideas in my own classroom.

My college education focused heavily on NGSS and three-dimensional learning as the standards were emerging, and I later received additional training in three-dimensional learning through the Utah State Board of Education. That foundation gave me a strong understanding of where science education was headed, while my time in the classroom taught me how to actually make those ideas work with real students.

Over time, I became pretty good at figuring out what makes a science lesson work—how to make a concept click, how to get students thinking like scientists, and how to turn big NGSS ideas into lessons teachers can realistically use. Some of the resources I created became favorites among teachers in my district, which eventually gave me the confidence to share them beyond my own classroom.

A Ray of Science brings those ideas together: engaging, thoughtfully designed science resources created to help teachers spend less time reinventing the wheel and more time doing what they love—teaching science.

• Outstanding Middle School Department — Utah Science Teaching Association, 2024

• Undergraduate Teaching Fellow of the Year — Utah State University, 2019