I have students with so much potential, but the traditional model of learning doesn’t always match their abilities. Computer science shows such a different way of thinking, but also channels the same skills. Students can express the same ideas in creative and different ways, while demonstrating they understand the concepts being taught.

I teach in a community where students don't have as many advantages. As my students started moving into high school, they were telling me that they felt this gap. And I thought, “How do we prevent that? How do we support our students going on to be successful and to be competitive in whatever field they want to do?” The answer is that we start in elementary school.

I often take content that they're already learning in class — reading, writing, math – and I'll pull that into a CS program. For example, in fourth grade, they're learning about the American Revolution, so I’ve had them animate its cause and its effect. They learn how the sequence of code can cause one thing to happen, then the next.

I think a recurring proudest moment is every time my principal says, "Thank you for pushing this. Thank you for standing up and saying this is really important.”  She'll see a student using a computing skill on their own or hear parents give positive feedback, and it comes back to her in a way that makes her say, “Wow, this was the right choice for our school.”

Start with an hour of code. Most people have an hour somewhere — a fun Friday, a lesson or activity that was canceled, some time will pop up that you can squeeze in one hour to just try. You’ll see the buy-in and the excitement, and that it's not nearly as challenging as you once thought. Just taking that one hour step is so valuable.

Computer science opens a lot of opportunities and it keeps on changing. As they say, a career in STEM is always evolving. My students see the potential, I just open the door for them to see what opportunities they could have in the future.

I had a student once who was one of my best computer science students. He eventually became a lawyer. I asked him, “What’s the connection between coding and being a lawyer?” He said, “Mr. Abraham, it’s the logic behind it; it’s the concepts—how you formulate different pathways. Computer science is one of the best ways to learn problem-solving.”

Computer science is not just for computer science teachers. It's also for English teachers, social studies teachers, and science teachers. As a teacher, you can make a difference in just one year by sparking students' interest, helping them find ideas, showing them the technology, and demonstrating what computer science can do.

I know a lot of computer science teachers would say we learn from our students. I think they are our best resources. But also, network with other teachers, look for professional development, and keep up with groups like CSTA.

I’ll always tell my students that computer science is like an equalizer. Regardless of your economic background, your different beliefs in things, it can level the playing field for everything and put you on equal footing with others for opportunities.