Bloodworth
ABOUT ME
I'm an educator who grew up between Puerto Rico and Virginia. Learning has become a life long endeavor, and I hope to share that passion with future generations. My physics class was where it all began; learning was about understanding the things around me instead of just solving word problems.
Education
M.A.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction
B.S. in Physics
Achievements
2026 Teacher of Promise Nominee
H. Y. Loh Award Recipient
Access my resume here to learn more.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
1. Learning is experiential, collaborative, and contextual
When I think back on my high school experiences, the moments that have stayed with me were never the lectures or homework assignments; the labs, the friends, and the teachers’ connections to my own personal experiences are what really stick with me. Those learning experiences are central to how I approach instruction. Learning comes from working with others, testing our hypotheses and gut feelings, talking through arguments, and finding the relevance to our lives outside of the classroom. My instruction builds meaningful, relevant learning experiences and performance tasks for students that are responsive to their prior knowledge, cognitive and linguistic development, and interests.
Effective teachers, at least the ones in my life, had this in common: their standards of achievement were high, and their barrier for care was low. Students are deserving of challenge in the class; the mind is just another muscle that needs to struggle for growth. My belief is not an idealized wish for all my students, but instead a recognition that they are already capable of achieving these standards with just the right amount of pressure. But this pressure only comes with an equal amount of care and compassion. Our students are complex people with aspirations and concerns. As a teacher, learning must be rigorous and demanding, yet warm and humane. Everyone must feel like a valued member of the educational and scientific community, raising each other's voices and fostering a classroom where everyone flourishes.
2. Everyone deserves equitable access to high expectations and care.
3. Science education should foster the development of critical citizens.
Science has never been, and never will be, practiced in a vacuum. Inquiry is not a novel, pedagogical party trick for teachers to boost their test scores. Scientific practice is a pillar of society; argumentation and evidence decide what policies will influence our communities for decades to come. To make the world their own, my students deserve the tools and knowledge from the scientific disciplines. They deserve the opportunity to identify problems in the classroom and make positive changes in their communities. Instruction should cater to these goals. Instruction connected to real social and scientific issues provides our students with the voice and experience to do great things as adults.