The school cultivates an environment where boys are deeply valued for their individual gifts. They are seen and heard, provided with both freedom and structure, and consistently encouraged to find lasting meaning in their education. The Browning School staff intentionally builds deep relationships with each boy, nurturing his growth into an excellent student, dedicated friend, and decent man whose life will positively influence others.
The Browning School is experiencing a period of growth. By the fall of 2025, a new building dedicated to the high school will open on 64th Street. At the school’s current location, the middle school has also expanded, adding an additional section to each of its grade levels.
Joan’s Educational Journey
Joan Gillmam’s (Science Teacher) dedication to education began with her Summa Cum Laude graduation from Felician College in 1980 and continued with a Master’s degree from NYU in 1982. Since then, she’s taught in diverse school settings, always aiming to positively impact her students. Before Browning, she taught science and electives at Calhoun. At Browning, she values the collaborative environment and the faculty’s dedication. She’s also a strong proponent of the annual 6th-grade Capstone project, an interdisciplinary endeavor where students explore various creative avenues, from murals to music to animal research (her “Animal Menagerie” project). The latter involved research, a pet shop field trip, and student presentations. Joan emphasizes the importance of teacher collaboration in the Capstone’s success.
Shaping Men of Purpose
The Browning School, an independent all-boys school founded in 1888 in New York City, serves over 400 students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The school prioritizes evidence-based educational practices and invests in professional development for its teachers and staff to ensure they remain current with the latest educational philosophies. Its mission is to “create men of intellect and integrity to contribute meaningfully to our world.” Four core values—Curiosity, Honesty, Dignity, and Purpose—are emphasized throughout the school year. A commitment to equitable practices and social impact is woven into all facets of the curriculum, rather than treated as a separate program.
The Browning School recognizes and celebrates the unique strengths of boys, employing research-based strategies designed to meet their developmental needs at each stage. As stated on their website, academic achievement flourishes when boys feel respected, encouraged, and challenged as learners. The dedicated faculty maintains high standards for both the students and themselves, fostering a love of learning and deeper understanding in the boys. The academic program offers both challenge and engagement, encouraging students to think critically, communicate effectively, and embark on a transformative journey through the world of ideas.
The Transformative Power of Education
Joan Gillman acknowledges the inevitable rise of AI in education, stressing the importance of ensuring it enhances, not hinders, students’ skill development. She advocates for a cautious approach to new technologies. Gillman’s primary goal as an educator is for her students to positively impact the world. As a science teacher and Green Team leader, she sees this happening. She prioritizes nurturing children’s natural curiosity and empowering them to make a difference through science, despite its potential intimidation. She cites a sixth-grade lesson on water shortages that inspired a student to join the Green Team and become active in climate change and green initiatives.
A Ripple of Change
The Browning School’s Green Team, driven by a shared passion for clean water access, researched various organizations and businesses working in this area. They ultimately chose to partner with Water.org. The entire team was enthusiastic about the opportunity to contribute directly to this important cause. Through the school’s support, they organized a fundraiser.
Students readily volunteered their time to collect donations, create posters, and distribute information about the fundraiser and the cause itself. Their efforts resulted in raising over $1,000, a testament to the passion and dedication of the younger generation at The Browning School.
A Model of Lifelong Learning
Joan’s dedication to environmental education extends beyond the classroom walls. She actively encourages her students to participate in community-based environmental projects, such as clean-up efforts in Central Park and various conservation activities. These experiences allow students to learn about the importance of environmental preservation while also developing practical skills in leadership and collaboration. Joan strives to foster environmental consciousness, helping her students understand the critical challenges facing the planet. She is pleased to have inspired some of her students to pursue careers as environmental advocates.
Joan believes that lifelong learning is essential for staying competitive in an increasingly global market. She models this belief for her students by continually engaging in professional development courses throughout her career. She has participated in numerous workshops over the years.
From Classroom to Community
Three of the courses Joan applied for and was accepted to were held at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Agency in Greenbelt, Maryland. This was a particularly exciting experience for her, as she has always been interested in astronomy. These workshops provided an opportunity to pursue her passion while sharing ideas and strategies with fellow educators. During her most recent workshop at NASA Goddard, she even had the chance to witness the construction of the James Webb Telescope.
Joan has also attended workshops at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, focusing on topics such as paleontology, climate change, and animal science. Additionally, she has taken courses at the Cornell Ornithology Lab.
Hands-On Learning
Joan’s dedication to innovative science education is evident in her participation in the 2017 GLOBE Weather Field Test Program in Colorado, where she tested a new NGSS-aligned weather curriculum. In 2018, she pursued and achieved National Geographic Certified Educator status, integrating storytelling, exploration, and science into her teaching. Her capstone video for the certification highlighted her oil spill curriculum, which culminates in a hands-on simulation where students clean up a mock spill, learning about the challenges involved and the importance of environmental responsibility. This experience provides students with a powerful understanding of the impact of oil spills.
Cultivating a Dynamic Learning Environment
Joan is committed to continuous professional development. In 2022, she completed the Modern Classroom Project, a five-week course focused on creating self-paced, student-centered learning environments. She’s already applying these strategies in her classroom. Beyond this, she’s an active member of several science education organizations (NSTA, STANYS, SCONY, SEEDS (Science Educators for Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice), even serving as a SAR (Subject Area Representative) for STANYS. With 43 years of teaching experience, Joan emphasizes the importance of staying current with new techniques and ideas through workshops, courses, and conferences. This commitment fuels her enthusiasm and allows her to learn from and connect with other educators.
Inspiring Students to Make a Difference
Joan identifies strong communication and listening skills as crucial for effective leadership. Currently in her 43rd year of teaching, she finds it a fulfilling and vital profession, shaping future generations. She’s passionate about seeing her students become lifelong learners. At The Browning School, she teaches science to lower and middle school, encompassing various grade levels. Beyond teaching, she’s a sixth-grade advisor and leads The Green Team, an all-school sustainability club.
The Green Team’s activities range from fundraising and park cleanups to promoting eco-conscious habits and organizing the annual Biodiversity Week, which includes workshops, speakers, and field trips. Joan’s goal, through both her teaching and Green Team leadership, is to empower students to become responsible environmental stewards, recognizing their crucial role in the planet’s future. She is deeply dedicated to her work and its positive impact on her students.
Embracing Change
The Browning School implemented NGSS in middle school science this year, a change Joan prepared for through summer collaboration with colleagues and participation in the school’s CLC professional development program. Joan’s passion for teaching began in high school through a community service requirement. Volunteering in a lower school, she taught recorder, tutored math, and organized inclusive playground games, impressing the head of school.She also taught swimming (including special needs children) and was a substitute ballet teacher where she found joy in helping children build confidence and discover the joy of movement.
These early experiences shaped her inclusive teaching philosophy, emphasizing opportunities for every child to shine and learn cooperation, compassion, dignity, and respect. She believes children benefit greatly from interacting with diverse peers and witnessing each other’s successes, something missed when only associating with high achievers.
An Award Winning Educator
The Browning School prioritizes Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), encouraging professional development and discussions on these topics. Faculty attend conferences like the NAIS People of Color Conference and others focused on diversity. This commitment allowed Joan to develop a unit on “Hurricane Relief and Environmental Racism” for her sixth-grade science students, where they analyzed relief organizations’ actions and proposed solutions to biases. Joan also shares her teaching strategies at numerous conferences, including ATIS (Association for Independent Schools), NSTA (National Science Teaching Association), STANYS (Science Teachers Association for New York State), SCONYC (Science Council of New York City), and NYSAIS (New York State Association of Independent Schools), presenting workshops on various topics, from STEM equity to hands-on science activities.
She finds great joy in helping other educators. She helped organize the SCONYC Conference and considers receiving the Urhy Teacher of the Year award in 2017 a career highlight. Joan has also received numerous accolades from Marquis Who’s Who, including Top Educator nominations and features in Forbes Magazine, National Digest Magazine, and World’s Leaders Magazine. She was also recognized by Kappa Delta Pi and CXO Time Awards, and CIO Views Magazine.
Balancing Passion and Career
Joan’s leadership extends beyond the classroom, as demonstrated by her published article on straw rockets in “Science and Children” (2013) and subsequent invitation to contribute to a STEM education book called “Bringing STEM to the Elementary Classroom.” She recalls the difficult experience of informing her sixth graders about the Challenger disaster, highlighting the profound impact teachers have. While fortunate to have avoided gender barriers in teaching, she did encounter age discrimination in the past. At The Browning School, she’s committed to supporting all-boys education and being a role model for women in STEM.
Her leadership is also evident in her popular professional development workshops, where she shares her teaching expertise. Joan believes women must strive for excellence and contribute fully to society. She defines feminism as advocating for equal rights and representation for women in all fields. Her student teaching experience with deaf students, particularly a hands-on engineering project, solidified her belief in this teaching method. She admires Sally Ride and Mae Jemison as trailblazing women in science.
Joan absolutely enjoys playing musical instruments.She is fortunate to be skilled at both violin and piano.Playing in orchestras provides Joan with an outlet for her creativity.When a particular piece of music needs extra practice due to its specific challenges,it helps remind her of some of the struggles her students might be going through when they need to learn a new topic.This just increases her compassion for her students.In addition,balancing her teaching and musical pursuits requires careful time management.
