Table Talk Facilitators
Embedded Files
Table Talks are facilitated by a member of the CalTeach community. Attendees engage in deep dialogue around a selected topic. Table talks offer the opportunity for attendees to broaden their understandings and perspectives. Attendees will leave with reflections and new questions to consider in their current or future work.
2024: TABLE TALK FACILITATORS
Holly Audet (she/her)
I graduated from UCI CalTeach in June 2022 where I first learned about ungrading and am currently a high school science teacher who recently finished my second year of teaching Physics and Biology in the Chaffey Joint Union High School District. I moved back to my hometown after graduating from UCI to pour back into the community that poured into me and spend time with friends and family in my down time. I'm open to answering any questions you may have about teaching and ungrading, but will also show you 8 million pictures of my 1-year-old niece at the drop of a dime.
TABLE TALK:
UNGRADING AS A FIRST YEAR TEACHER
What does it mean to "ungrade"? How can we "ungrade" when we are learning in an educational environment that works up to a ranking of class by graduation? This table talk has us diving into what ungrading is, how it looks in my classroom, and the affect it has on our students.
Folder of resources: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GSUsnayUkNh37F-MGliyRsMWXCcitTZ8?usp=drive_link
Giselle Garcia (she/her)
I am currently an undergraduate at the University of California, Irvine, where I am working towards my bachelor’s degree in biology/education. Through the UCI CalTeach program, I am student teaching at MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate School, where I teach Science 6. I've enjoyed seeing my students learn and grow this year, and I am excited to continue teaching in the years to come! I am also a student researcher under the Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, promoting socially just and inclusive education at UCI. When I'm not teaching, I enjoy painting, baking, and spending time with my dog, Luna!
TABLE TALK:
GROUP ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS
We often ask students to collaborate with each other in class, but how can we help them gain the skills to collaborate effectively? How can students recognize each other's strengths, help each other succeed, and hold each other accountable? How can we help students set goals and collaborate with their peers? Come to my table talk to find out!
Tanya Guzman (she/her)
Hi, my name is Tanya Guzman. I am currently a senior in CalTeach at UCI. Through the guidance of a fantastic mentor and staff, I have learned how to be an equitable and social justice educator who centers around caring and focusing on what my students need. When I am not teaching, I am drawing, reading, or making crafts!
TABLE TALK:
LET'S TALK!
Discourse makes a big impact on the way the classroom sounds and looks everyday. Every class is different and might need extra reassurance to want to participate in discourse. Through activities such as Clue, Speed Dating, and Stronger and Clearer, students in my classroom have been able to talk with one another about math. Come learn how to navigate and create these spaces at my table talk!
Queenie Chen (she/her)
I am a senior in the UCI CalTeach Program, in which I am about to graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a teaching credential in Biology! Through the CalTeach Program, I am honored to be student teaching at Northwood High School, where I am able to build and develop a welcoming classroom for all students where their curiosity for science can be fostered! When I am not in the classroom, you will most likely find me doing something food-related; cooking and baking are forms of science after all!
Gabby Kim-E (she/her)
I am a proud CalTeach alumni and have been teaching science at Northwood High School in Irvine Unified for nearly 10 years. My background includes being a mentor, program facilitator, and Associate Director of the UCI Science Project. My biggest passions are eliciting the "aha" moments in the classroom through intentional interactions and building meaningful relationships along the way. When I'm not teaching, I'm probably hiking, hanging out with my husband and dogs, or planning my next vacation!
TABLE TALK:
HOW TO REFLECT WITH INTENT
Student teaching is a journey that has no defined route. Every student teacher walks into student teaching with goals and visions for their classes, but how do we get there? My mentor teacher designed a running document that has helped me document my "mission and vision" -- why I want to teach and what I envision my classroom to look like -- and formulate bite-sized, attainable goals for each lesson that I can reflect upon with her throughout my student teaching experience. It also helps my mentor teacher tailor her feedback and advice to my focus for each lesson. As I read through the document near the end of my student teaching journey, I see proof of my growth towards my vision in my classroom!
We've all been there - teaching a lesson for the first time to your morning period, AKA the "pancake" period. The lesson changes throughout the day, but did you truly get a chance to reflect on your teaching practices? Whether you are just beginning your teaching journey or a seasoned educator, quick and consistent reflections are key as we strive to align what we do and why we do it. Learn the 3 simple things to consider when reflecting on your lessons in this table talk!
2023: TABLE TALK FACILITATORS
Madeline Lee (she/her)
I am an equity-driven and student-centered teacher candidate in the UCI CalTeach Program. I support the Teacher Prep Program with positions in the Student Advisory Board Leadership as the Executive Coordinator, co-facilitates the WOKE WOCE affinity group, and am Vice President of USLA (UTeach Student Leaders Association). I enjoy and value building community in my classroom and personal life. When I am not in the classroom teaching or taking UCI courses myself, I love playing tennis, tending to plants, and board game nights!
Nicole Louie (she/her)
I am a first year high school math teacher for Pleasanton Unified School District. I am currently teaching resource supported Algebra 1 and Precalculus. I recently graduated from the UCI CalTeach program in June 2022 and is open to sharing my experiences so far in the teaching profession — especially being young, female, and Asian!
TABLE TALK:
WOKE WOCE: A STEM Women of Color Affinity Space: Sustaining Social Justice Identity Development and Actionable Visions
WOKE WOCE is an affinity group that makes space for women of color in STEM education to reflect on and affirm their experiences in this profession. This space was created with the intent to be in solidarity in shared identities, share how one navigates barriers, collaborate on actionable steps to address tensions, and support CalTeach students/alumni not only to survive but thrive. As women of color and part of the global majority, we are often placed in boxes and are expected to conform to set standards. Throughout our 6 sessions and 2 in-person meetings, our sisterhood empowered our group as we addressed imposter syndrome, microaggressions, finding your squad, grounding students' strengths, and burnout. With our stories, we are inspired to not conform to any standard and are encouraged to empathize and advocate for our students.
Andrea Moreno-Martin (she/her)
I am currently an undergraduate at the University of California, Irvine, where I am working on a bachelor’s degree in mathematics/education. Through the Calteach program, I have gotten the opportunity to student teach at Magnolia High School, where I teach Integrated Math 1-2 Honors and Integrated Math 1. In addition to facilitating their learning in the classroom, I make it a priority to support their growth and development both inside and outside the classroom, by providing tutoring, attending sporting events, and engaging with things that are meaningful to them. It brings me great joy to watch them succeed and I am excited to continue having a positive impact on my students’ lives in the years to come.
Robert Soukaseume (he/him)
I'm 31 years old, but only had 7 birthdays since I'm a leap year baby! I grew up in Anaheim, which is the same city that I currently teach in. I've been teaching since 2016 and have also been coaching tennis for 12 years. In my free time, I love going to the gym and trying new food!
TABLE TALK:
Evolving Digital Portfolio
It’s common for teachers to collect and re-use physical documents that they refer to year after year. For example, my colleague, Mrs. Hill, makes an extra physical copy for herself every time she prints out copies for her classes. With these extra copies, she chronologically compiles them throughout the year. In the end, she has an organized overview of her classes where she can reflect, refine, and re-use any materials she deems appropriate. I was inspired by this concept and decided to extend this idea with technology by creating a digital portfolio for my student teachers that continues to evolve every year. As a result, past student teachers, current student teacher(s), and I can use this growing digital portfolio for collaboration, class preparation, reflection, induction, national boards, etc. and stay tip-top with their pedagogy!
Gisselle Aguirre (she/her)
I am currently an undergraduate at the University of California, Irvine, where I am working on a bachelor’s degree in mathematics/education. Though the UCI CalTeach program, I am aiming for a single subject credential in mathematics. I support the teacher preparation program by co-facilitating the SOS affinity space. I am currently student teaching at TeWinkle Middle School and am excited to have my own classroom teaching 7th grade math at Virgil Middle School.
TABLE TALK
SOS: An Affinity Space for Seniors
Affinity spaces have shown promise in contributing to participates’ sense of belonging, their social justice stances and may increase teacher resilience and early career persistence. This space is designed to be a reflective community of support for CalTeach student teachers that also attends to student teacher well-being. We explore the reported benefits voiced by SOS community members after one quarter of participation. Our work will inform the design of the next SOS community for CalTeach student teachers. Moreover, this work will have implications on how teacher preparation programs broadly can support teachers once in the classroom to improve teacher retention and support their well-being.
Victor Arroyo (he/him)
I am a full-time substitute teacher for North Orange County ROP across five different middle/high school districts. I sub for all sorts of cool classes, such as Medical Care, Residential Construction, Engineering & Design, Automotive Technology, and many more. I am also a private mathematics tutor and a Junior Math Specialist for UC Irvine, where I teach and model culturally responsive teaching to undergraduates.
TABLE TALK:
"You're Just a Sub!"
Picture yourself in your regular classroom…except you don’t know anything about the subject…and you don’t have any lesson plans. What would you do? How would you manage the classroom? Lastly, how can we support the people who are in these situations on a regular basis? Stop by my table talk discussion to find out!
Vy Le (she/her)
I am currently a senior at the University of California, Irvine, where I am working towards a Bachelor's degree in Biology/Education and a single-subject credential in Biology. Through the CalTeach program, my fieldwork journey at Westminster High School, and my tutoring side hustles, I've seen and witnessed the limitless potential of students when they are given the right opportunity to learn and grow! When I have my own classroom, I hope to build strong relationships with my students, provide them with the best learning environment, and inspire them to discover and be the best versions of themselves. When I am not "teaching" (planning, grading, thinking about students and my own teaching) or taking UCI courses, you can find me reading self-help books, watching rom-com dramas, or talking to the people around me!
Sebastian Liu (he/him)
I am a 5th year Biology/Education Major in the Calteach program. Currently, I am student teaching at Westminster High School teaching Biotech. A dream of mine is to be a respected and talented teacher like my hero, Huy Pham.
TABLE TALK:
Use of One-Pagers in Test Preparation
Do students take teachers up on the offer when we allow them to bring in a 1-pager for the test? If they did, what information do they include to help them? If they didn't, why not? How does this apply more broadly to assignments that students have to do for class? Come to our table talk to learn more!
Kris Houston (she/her)
I've taught high school math for sixteen years in Santa Ana Unified School District prior to joining the UCI family. I am currently serving as a Master Teacher and Academic Coordinator for the Cal Teach Program, as well as an IMP co-director. My roles include writing and leading professional development, writing curriculum, teaching seminars for undergraduate CalTeach students, as well as placing and advising students who are student teaching in the field. I live in Lake Forest with her husband and two children. I enjoy camping with my family as well as horse back riding.
Naehee Kwun (she/her)
I've served for over 16 years as a math teacher, instructional coach, mentor, curriculum designer, consultant, and educational leader. I collaborate with fellow educators and university partners to design and facilitate professional learning experiences for teachers developing and refining their culturally sustaining pedagogy. I speak at and organize conferences to inspire and empower other teachers in their commitments to shift education to be relevant for all learners and foster student agency to fight for justice. I currently serve the UCI CalTeach community as the network coordinator, program designer, lecturer, and supervisor. My portfolio can be found at www.mathingforequity.org I am a first generation Korean American, a loving wife and mother, and an avid baker.
TABLE TALK:
Ethnic Studies Concepts in Math and Science Classrooms
Learn about the concepts of Ethnic Studies, in the landscape of Ethnic Studies being a new graduation requirement in California. How familiar are we with these concepts? How do we envision them being incorporated in our math or science classroooms? What practices do we current exercise that embody these concepts? What current practices might we need to modify or adapt?
For questions or comments, please contact Naehee Kwun at nkwun@uci.edu
* Irvine Ranch Water District makes its facilities available for use by residents and nonprofit organizations merely as a public service, but does not, by allowing this use, endorse or support the purpose of the event or its sponsor.
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