Looking Forward with Ms. Woodward

by Sudhish Swain for Silver Quest

A Leap Into Magnet Education

With 13 years of teaching under her belt, mostly in biology and neuroscience, Ms. Woodward’s entry into the Magnet Program was seemingly unplanned. “I started teaching in the Magnet Program just because there was an opening, and my good friend and colleague, Megan [Hart] asked if I would be interested,” Ms. Woodward recalls. A quick chat with Mr. Ostrander set her on a new path, teaching in the Magnet Program, where she now teaches both Magnet Biology and Neuroscience to eager Magnet students.

For Ms. Woodward, crafting a curriculum for her latest classes was both a science and an art. While 10th-grade Magnet Biology followed an established path set by her colleague, Ms. Glenn, Neuroscience became her labor of love over the summer. Woodward was inspired by an online neurobiology course from the University of Chicago she took over the summer and saw it as an opportunity to infuse real-world applications into the elective. She has found that teaching in the Magnet Program comes with unique challenges, notably finding and assigning work that students find interesting, and not tedious. “It’s surprising how quickly [the Magnet students] finish assignments,” Woodward notes. “I’ve tried to make sure that there’s a lot more hands-on stuff to do... that we’re doing labs and so that we’re not just sitting down and doing paperwork.”

Beyond academics, Woodward hopes to be part of the discussions regarding a more inclusive Magnet community. She underscores the importance of ensuring students of diverse backgrounds feel represented and supported. “I hope the Magnet program continues to encourage and support students of many different backgrounds,” she emphasizes, noting the need for greater outreach to the Hispanic community within Silver Spring.

Looking Ahead

As Woodward navigates her inaugural year in the Magnet Program, her commitment and passion for nurturing confidence and curiosity are integral. She aims to strike a balance between academic rigor and a supportive environment in her latest role at Blair.

Woodward also sponsors the We The East Ethiopian Eritrean Club, which raises awareness of issues concerning students of Ethiopian/Eritrean backgrounds. They usually raise funds annually for causes in Ethiopia.

For her senior students heading to college, Woodward has some valuable words of advice, “Passing classes in college isn’t that hard. It’s doing well in college that’s challenging. Be prepared for a lot less grace, and a higher level of competition. When you’re done worrying about all that, remember that college is about having fun, so make time for it. ... Learn the balance. Key life skill.”