Washington Capitals April 2022 Teacher of the Month

Future GoalsTM Program

Washington Capitals logo

Washington Capitals April 2022 Teacher of the Month

Name:

Ashley Thornton

School:

Fredericksburg Academy

Classroom Team:


Tell us about yourself!

I am completing my seventh year teaching, and currently teach sixth and seventh grade science and STEM. When I’m not in the classroom, I enjoy teaching students about robotics. I work closely with engineers from a local naval warfare base to provide students with opportunities to build and program a variety of different types of robots. I did not always want to be a teacher. When I was in college, I was studying biology in hopes to become a laboratory scientist. At the same time I was completing my lab internship, I was volunteering in schools. Right before I graduated, I realized that I enjoyed being in the classroom much more than I enjoyed working in a lab. I decided to accept a position with Teach For America, and the rest is history!

Who is your favorite NHL® player and why?

Dale Hunter (retired) because he has the most penalty minutes in team history!

What is your favorite part of the Future Goals™program? How do you see STEM in the game of hockey?

I love that the Future Goals program applies physical science content that my students learn about over the course of the school year. The program gives students a real-world connection of concepts that is interesting to them while allowing them to meaningfully engage with STEM.

If you played hockey, what position would you play and why?

I would want to be the goalie because I would get to play the whole game!