Hello! My name is Danielle Woods, but you can call me Dani. I am going into my 8th year of teaching. Currently, I am teaching 5th grade science (mostly), social studies, and social and emotional learning at Deep Wood Elementary in Round Rock ISD. Prior to teaching 5th grade, I taught students with special needs for 5 years (primarily twice exceptional students on the spectrum). During the pandemic, I taught 4th grade, virtual kindergarten, and then I was a resource & inclusion teacher. I jumped at the opportunity to teach science, because I love it! However, I have only been “the science teacher” for 1 year. So, I’m super excited to be a part of the RET program and learn how to become a better science teacher for my students. My goal is to be my own version of Miss Frizzle! I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Applied Learning and Development from the University of Texas at Austin. I am really proud of that accomplishment, because I am a first generation college graduate. My hope is to go back to school for my masters. Being a part of the RET program is giving me the opportunity to be a student again, which I am SO excited about! I consider myself a life-long learner and I’m so thrilled to learn from some really intelligent people! Outside of school, I am married and we have two dogs and a bunny. I have an unhealthy obsession with Harry Potter. I enjoy being outside and exploring - I really enjoy kayaking and anything having to do with being on or near the water. I also enjoy finding new coffee shops to go to and going to local markets. I am so grateful for this opportunity to be a part of the RET program! Being a new-to-teaching-science teacher, I am so excited to learn more about STEM and apply the information I learn from this program into my classroom.