Joan Gillman: Teaching That Transforms
Empowering Students to Explore, Discover, and Make a Difference!
When snow covers everything, kids usually think of snowball fights and sledding. However, Joan Gillman saw snow as a subject of her experiment. She checked snow depth with a yardstick, recorded barometric pressure, and was always curious about the next storm. Her bathroom turned into her laboratory where she mixed powders and liquids under her inquisitive hands. She created robots from shoeboxes with her older brother, made model cities, and dug snow tunnels. These were not just play, but the roots of a lifelong love of science and creativity.
Long before she became a respected science teacher in New York City, Joan Gillman found the joy of teaching. She led small groups of children learning to play the recorder, tutored math, organized inclusive playground games, taught swimming to children of all abilities, and even substituted as a ballet teacher at a local dance studio. Every experience made her more convinced of the simple truth that still guides her: every child, irrespective of their background, deserves to have their moment of brilliance.
Building a Career from Curiosity
These attributes of Joan Gillman, to be curious and caring, were her emotional qualities which later became the basis of her career that has spanned over 4 decades. Joan Gillman today is a living example of this philosophy to her students at The Browning School in Manhattan, where she imparts her knowledge to the students to dive into science, develop creativity, and at the same time, acquire empathy along with other intellectual skills.
Her students are engaged in various tasks in their learning environment. Fourth graders, during their “Straw Rockets” unit work with different variables to develop a rocket that can fly the furthest distance. The students may use a straw that is between 10-20 cm., 2-5 fins, and a nose cone that is no bigger than 2 cm in diameter. Three launch angles are also chosen. The students get to test their rockets outside and record the distances they flew. Once inside, the students evaluate how well their rocket performed. Based on the results, the students redesign their rockets to improve their flights.
6th graders convert their lessons about natural disasters into educational campaigns that serve the community by making posters, recording PSAs, or inventing board games in order to teach the safety rules. By giving students the freedom to choose their method of communication, Joan Gillman allows them to uncover their abilities and study with self-assurance.
“I believe in giving students choices,” Joan Gillman says. “They learn best when they can explore in ways that feel right to them.”
Creativity in Teaching
Creativity is one of the things Joan Gillman brings to her lessons. Occasionally, to introduce topics, she does a science-themed rap, which is a moment her students can’t wait for. These shows keep the vibe, and it shows that science is something to be enjoyed and not only to be studied. Her classrooms are places where the three wonders, fun and learning, coexist.
In addition to science, she is the leader of The Browning School’s Green Team and through fundraisers, Central Park cleanups, and sustainable habits, she engages the students. The team’s annual Biodiversity Day, packed with speakers, workshops, and field trips, has turned into a school tradition. Environmental education, to Joan Gillman, is a must.
“Planet Earth’s survival depends on them,” she explains. “Even inspiring a few students to care deeply about the environment feels like a meaningful contribution.”
Meeting Challenges with Resilience
Joan’s career has been riddled with obstacles, but she has always been able to overcome them with great courage. When the COVID-19 pandemic happened, she totally changed her teaching methods to fit the virtual classrooms. She would send a list of common household items for experiments that kids could do at home with their families, and make interactive online demonstrations. Parents were amazed at her capability of making science fun even through video calls.
Not long ago, the space shuttle explosion in 1986 was just another turning point in her career. When she had the difficult task of explaining the disaster to her 6th-grade students, she became aware of the tremendous influence teachers have not only on students’ intellectual but also emotional development. “That day showed me the responsibility educators carry,” she says.
Adapting with Technology
Joan Gillman has seen education evolve from chalkboards to SmartBoards. She integrates Chromebooks, interactive boards, and platforms like Seesaw, Google Classroom, and Canvas, ensuring students have the tools they need to explore. She believes technology should enhance learning while preserving the skills students need to develop on their own.
Artificial intelligence and other innovations will play an increasing role in education, but Joan’s approach remains measured. Technology serves as a tool, not a replacement for curiosity, problem-solving, or hands-on experimentation.
Inspiring Beyond the Classroom
Joan’s influence stretches far beyond science content. By serving as an advisor and leading the Green Team, she supports students in developing traits such as empathy, resilience, and a sense of responsibility. After learning about global water shortages, a sixth grader who could not have been more inspired, initiated a fundraiser that brought in over $1,000 to water.org. Joan Gillman comments, “Teaching is about more than academics; it is about empowering young people to see themselves as capable of making change.”
Her endeavors have been widely acclaimed. The curriculum “Straw Rockets Are Out of This World” was initially published in Science and Children and later republished in Bringing STEM to the Elementary Classroom. She has been active in writing for the educational professional community, presenting at national-level conferences, and attracting a wide variety of awards, such as Top Educator and Lifetime Achievement from Marquis Who’s Who, Urhy Teacher of the Year at the Calhoun School in 2017, and Top Educator of the Year 2025 by the International Association of Top Professionals.
Joan Gillman, however, places a higher value on the interaction with her colleagues than on any praise she might receive. She states: “Teaching workshops for fellow educators has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career.”
Looking Forward
Joan’s focus remains on the future of education. She plans to implement Next Generation Science Standards across all grades at The Browning School, expand Green Team initiatives, and continue sharing expertise at professional conferences. She envisions a world of learning where collaboration, interdisciplinary connections, and environmental awareness are central.
“Learning does not happen in isolation,” she says. “Science connects with math, art, literature, and ultimately life.”
Her advice to new educators is simple: keep learning, maintain a sense of humor, and rely on colleagues. Teaching is challenging, but with support, laughter, and continuous growth, it becomes a deeply rewarding journey.
Music and Balance
Joan Gillman balances her life outside the classroom with the help of music. She is a violinist and pianist in orchestras and also makes her own efforts to practice regularly. Music is a source of her insight and compassion, which in turn helps her to comprehend the students’ hardships in learning new concepts. Having difficulty with a musical piece makes her think of students wrestling with complex lessons, so her patience and love grow even more.
Joan’s life is a narrative filled with inquisitiveness, ingenuity, and compassion. She grew up conducting experiments in the snow and later continued her studies in hands-on classrooms in Manhattan. Along the way, she shows that teaching has the power to change people’s lives. Students discover the world, make things, and learn to be accountable for it through every experiment, project, and lesson.
As a result, she claims through her work that learning is not dead but alive. Every student gets a chance to shine, every question is given attention, and every curiosity can lead to a new discovery. Joan Gillman is a living example of the essential elements being connection, inspiration, and the faith that every child can make a difference, which constitute the core of teaching.