At the Ethel Walker School science teacher Dr. Emma Mitchell believes one of the most important lessons for students has little to do with formulas or equations.
It’s learning success from failure.
“In science, mistakes are something we celebrate. They help us move forward."
Now in her 10th year at the all-girls independent school in Simsbury, she's built a reputation for bringing physics and engineering to life through hands-on experimentation and collaboration.
She chairs the school’s science department and teaches ninth-grade physics, advanced physics for juniors and seniors, and electives for upperclassmen in coding, electronics, and robotics.
Those courses, she says, are where students discover the joy of experimentation.
Her teaching philosophy grew out of her academic journey. As a student, she attended an all-girls independent school, an education that was transformative.
“I don’t think I would have majored in physics if I hadn’t had that experience.”
She later pursued graduate studies in physics at the University of Virginia. As a woman majoring in science she often found herself in the minority.
Those experiences now shape how she approaches teaching.
“All of our science teachers have real-life science experience. We know what it’s like to be women in science and some of the barriers that can come with that. Girls are often socialized to want to be perfect. They can be really hard on themselves when something doesn’t come easily.”
She and her colleagues show students that scientific struggle isn't failure, it's part of the process.
“Science isn’t an end result, it’s a process. It’s okay if you don’t get something right away.”
That approach helps make science one of the most popular academic paths at Ethel Walker.
One of the most rewarding moments comes when students shed their doubt of their abilities, she says.
“Once they start experimenting, collaborating, and realizing mistakes are part of the process, they get excited.”
Visit ethelwalkerschool.edu.