Joan Gillman is a highly prominent figure in transformative education, renowned for her exceptional teaching abilities and dedication to inspiring students. As a National Geographic Certified Educator and dedicated science teacher at The Browning School, she has spent over four decades shaping young minds and fostering a sense of wonder and responsibility. Her remarkable journey epitomizes her dedication, hard work, and visionary approach.
A Passionate Educator: Joan’s Inspirational Journey
Joan is a dedicated science teacher with over 43 years of teaching experience, striving to empower students and foster environmental awareness. Her success stems from dedication, organization, and creativity, enabling her to craft engaging, hands-on lessons tailored to diverse learning styles.
Her key strengths include dedication, putting 100% effort into her profession, organization, setting schedules for effective lesson planning, and creativity, developing innovative projects like engineering assignments and public service announcements.
Joan’s passion for teaching is evident in her enthusiasm and commitment to growth. She attends workshops, courses, and conferences, interacting with educators to enhance her methods and stay updated with the latest trends. This empowers her to stay enthusiastic about her career and gain a new perspective.
Inspiring Young Minds: Passionate about Teaching
Joan believes in making learning fun and interactive. She develops hands-on lessons that cater to diverse learning styles, inspiring learners to become environmentally conscious and curious learners. Her approach includes innovative projects like the “Elephant Project” and the “Straw Rocket Unit,” which integrate science, math, and creativity. These projects foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills, making learning an enjoyable experience.
Joan encourages students to take action, leading The Green Team and promoting environmental awareness through initiatives like “Green Action of the Week” and park cleanups. Her purpose is to nurture compassion, leadership, and a passion for positive change. As a 7th-grade advisor, Joan mentors students, providing guidance, support, and troubleshooting. She empowers learners to develop problem-solving skills and become confident leaders.
Joan’s enthusiasm is contagious, making science accessible to students. Her dedication to education and her students’ success has earned her recognition, showcasing her impact on the education community.
Embracing EdTech to Nurture Growth
Joan reflects on her teaching career, from using blackboards and chalk to embracing technology. She has witnessed firsthand the impact of EdTech on student learning, making lessons more engaging and accessible. SmartBoards, Chromebooks, and online platforms have become integral to her teaching toolkit.
Her classroom is equipped with a SmartBoard, making it easy to incorporate multimedia resources and interactive lessons. Students use Chromebooks for note-taking, research, and assignments, while online platforms like Seesaw, Google Classroom, and Canvas facilitate collaboration and feedback.
As EdTech continues to evolve, Joan recognizes the potential of AI technology. She is cautious yet optimistic, ensuring it enhances learning without replacing essential skills. Her approach: thoughtful integration, careful evaluation, and a focus on student needs.
Joan’s experience showcases the power of EdTech in modern education. By embracing technology, she has empowered students to explore, create, and learn in innovative ways, preparing them for success in the digital age.
Journey as a Female Leader in STEM Education
Joan is a trailblazer in STEM education, inspiring young minds at an all-boys school. She is passionate about showcasing female leadership in science, shattering stereotypes, and empowering students to see women as innovators and mentors.
Despite facing age discrimination at previous schools and at job interviews, Joan’s 44 years in teaching prove that passion and ideas matter more than age or gender. Her dedication inspires students and colleagues to value quality and inquiry.
A Transformative Experience: Shaping Her Leadership Style
Joan’s experience as a student teacher at P.S. 47 Junior High School for the Deaf was a pivotal moment in her career. Working with profoundly deaf science students in grades 7,8, and 9, she witnessed firsthand the power of hands-on learning. Her cooperating teacher’s innovative approach to teaching engineering concepts through a mini “Great Adventure” amusement park project left a lasting impression. The students’ ingenuity and creativity in building working rides and gondolas that incorporated scientific principles were truly inspiring.
This experience taught her the importance of incorporating hands-on learning into her teaching practice. She has taken this approach to numerous professional conferences, including NSTA (National Science Teaching Association) conferences, the NSTA STEM conferences, the STANYS (Science Teachers Association of New York State) conferences, the SCONYC (Science Council of New York City) conferences, and the NYSAIS (New York State Association of Independent Schools) Diversity Symposium. She has had the opportunity to share her creative teaching methods with fellow educators. These experiences have not only helped her grow as an educator but also allowed her to inspire others to adopt innovative approaches to science education.
Teaching in the Digital Age
Joan has wholeheartedly adopted technological advancements to stay ahead in the post-pandemic educational landscape. Having begun her teaching career in 1982 with just a blackboard and chalk, she has witnessed firsthand the profound impact of technology on education. She is thrilled with the SmartBoards in every classroom at The Browning School, which enable her to make lessons more engaging and accessible. Her students also benefit from Chromebooks, using them for note-taking, video watching, assignment preparation, and collaboration.
Joan skillfully navigates multiple online platforms—Seesaw, Google Classroom, and Canvas—tailored to her students’ age groups. She is also mindful of the emerging role of AI technology, emphasizing its potential to enhance learning while ensuring it does not hinder students’ skill development. Her approach to innovation is cautious yet forward-thinking, prioritizing responsible integration and maximizing learning outcomes.
Overcoming Challenges, Nurturing Minds
Joan’s teaching journey includes turning early challenges into opportunities for growth, such as proving her commitment in the South Bronx and addressing diverse student needs.
During the pandemic, Joan adapted her teaching methods to make online classes engaging and interactive. She emailed students and parents with lab instructions and supply lists, allowing them to participate in experiments from home. Parents were amazed by her ability to make online classes so interactive.
A particularly difficult experience was teaching sixth graders about the Challenger disaster. Joan had to balance breaking the news with reassuring her students. This expertise highlighted the importance of teachers’ roles in students’ lives.
A Legacy of Excellence
Joan’s teaching career is defined by dedication and achievement. Winning the 2017 Urhy Teacher of the Year award recognized her enduring commitment to students’ education.
Joan’s impressive list of achievements includes being nominated as one of Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators and Who’s Who of Professional Women and receiving their Lifetime Achievement Award. She has also been featured in Forbes Magazine, National Digest Magazine, and World’s Leaders Magazine, among others. Her recent recognition as “Top Educator of the Year 2025” by the International Association of Top Professionals and being named one of the “Top 25 Global Impact Leaders” is a testament to her global impact. However, Joan’s true reward is seeing her students become passionate about education and succeed in their endeavors.
Balancing Personal and Professional Life
Joan balances her personal and professional life by prioritizing her passions and making time for the things that bring her joy. Music is a significant part of her life, and she finds solace in playing the violin and piano. She believes that her experience as a musician helps her connect with her students, as it reminds her of the struggles they face when learning new concepts.
Joan’s advice to others is to find an outlet that nourishes their creativity and soul. For her, music is that outlet, and it helps her stay compassionate and patient with her student. She also emphasizes the significance of prioritizing time, as she often has to dedicate her weekends to intense practice sessions.
By pursuing her passion for music, Joan can maintain a healthy work-life balance and bring her best self to her students.
Joan’s Approach to Effective Leadership
Joan believes that effective leaders possess certain essential qualities, including fine listening skills, which enable them to tap into their peers’ ideas and strategies. She emphasizes the importance of collaboration, compromise, and being open to new ideas and perspectives.
Joan attributes her successful 43-year teaching career to her commitment to ongoing professional development, attending workshops, courses, and conferences to stay updated on new techniques and ideas. This has helped her stay enthusiastic about her career and interact with fellow educators, gaining fresh insights to bring back to her classroom. This has helped her stay enthusiastic about her career and interact with educators, gaining fresh insights to bring back to her classroom.
Remarkable Achievements and Milestones
Joan’s achievements are truly inspiring. She has been recognized as “Top Educator of the Year 2025” by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) and is one of the “Top 25 Global Impact Leaders. Additionally, she will be receiving the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the IAOTP in 2026. These milestones are a testament to her dedication to teaching and her impact on students worldwide.
Shaping Future Stewards
Joan plans to continue teaching science and leading The Green Team at The Browning School, inspiring students to make a difference and become environmentally conscious. She will present workshops at conferences, sharing her expertise with fellow educators, and attend professional development courses to stay updated on scientific knowledge and curriculum innovations.
Her goals include empowering students to protect the Earth and ensuring The Browning School’s science department completes Next Generation Science Standards alignment and promotes sustainability through The Green Team. With her dedication and passion, Joan is making a lasting impact on her students and the environment.
Inspiring Success: Wisdom for Aspiring Leaders
Joan’s advice to aspiring CEOs, students, and businesswomen is to persevere and stay passionate about their work. She emphasizes that teaching is a rewarding profession, shaping future leaders and environmental stewards. Her key takeaways include:
Don’t give up, even on challenging days—better days are ahead. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help from your fellow educators. You are in a school filled with professionals who would be willing to lend a helping hand and provide good advice. Finally, it is vitally important to stay up-to-date with the latest scientific advancements. Attending professional development workshops and conferences will help keep the enthusiasm going in your chosen career.
Joan’s message is clear: with dedication and support, anyone can succeed and make a lasting impact.