Chelen Johnson
NITARP is a phenomenal opportunity. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done in terms of professional development. It’s fun working with teams from across the county.
Real astronomy is very exciting! I was not expecting to have to solve problems in excel the way we did. We were asked to answer simple questions or develop simple graphs at times but in order to get correct results (as far as we can tell) our team had to parse our skills and play with logic. I remember creating my first SED: I became so excited I could not sit down anymore. Another teacher was so thrilled they raised their hands and yelled in excitement. It was the first time we had results; it was a thrill.
My confidence level speaking to this vast assortment of astronomy professionals has risen significantly, and this translates directly to my ability to convey what I have learned and experienced -- to not only my students but other teachers and my community.
