Baldwin Wins National Award

By Jan Joslin / Photos by Oakbrook Middle School yearbook

Amy Britt Baldwin ’00 describes seventh grade, especially math, as her worst year in school growing up. Ironically, she spent 13 years teaching seventh grade mathematics and a few years in seventh grade science at Oakbrook Middle School before assuming the Gateway to Technology position in 2013.

Baldwin said, “It was one of the hardest decisions I made to move positions, but it helped renew my passion for teaching.”

Baldwin’s passion for teaching is evident just based on her recent accolades. She was South Carolina STEM Educator of the Year in 2021. This year she was recognized nationally as the Robert and Patricia Kern Teacher of the Year by Project Lead the Way.

She readily acknowledges she was the kid wanting to know the why to everything. She also liked finding different ways to solve a problem. “The journey was as important to me as the solution,” said Baldwin. “I think that is why I am so passionate about teaching STEM.”

Baldwin believes STEM allows every student to find something they are good at and excel. “I have watched students realize that

Amy Baldwin speaks after receiving the national Robert and Patricia Kern Teacher of the Year award.

they have the skills to be a computer programmer or a mechanic,” said Baldwin. “Many of these students find their safe place or comfort zone in my classroom, because in my room you can be yourself. My STEM classroom is the place to explore and find your why.”

As a Gateway to Technology teacher, Baldwin exposes students to STEM concepts and

Baldwin’s family members and school family celebrate her national award. careers. She said STEM careers are some of the fastest growing in the Charleston metro region and will be some of the main jobs available during her students’ lifetime.

“Through our hands-on lessons and career explorations, I hope that students gain the knowledge that allows them to explore their areas of interest and unlock their strengths,” said Baldwin.

The sixth grade GTT curriculum gets students interested in STEM concepts such as engineering, the design process and coding. Students explore coding through CS First Music and Sound to create music videos. The seventh grade curriculum includes 3D modeling and production, focuses on design for production, and students complete projects such as making foot orthosis for students with Cerebral Palsy, design puzzle cubes modified for special needs, and design solutions to their own problems. Careers such as auto and plane manufacturing are explored.

In the eighth grade, GTT students learn to create and program robots, to build mechanical gears, and about the medical and forensic field in real-world scenarios. “Students are challenged to create a build without a defined solution or instructions,” said Baldwin.

When Baldwin became a GTT teacher in 2013, she was the only female GTT teacher in her district. Most of the other teachers had an industrial technology or business background. Baldwin believes boys are pushed toward STEM more often than females. She observed that boys tended to lean toward robotics and building. Baldwin said, “I often heard girls say that they did not like build activities because the boys would take over.” She started making an effort to bring more females into her STEM classes. “My all girls robotics teams and Girl Power camp helped the young ladies in the community feel more confident in their STEM abilities,” she said.

Bladwin encourages students interested in