Team Stay Featured is feeling proud to declare Dr Rania Lampou from Greece as Positive Thoughts Achiever Of The Week
She is Global Educator, STEM Instructor, Greek Astronomy & Space Company.
Dr Rania Lampou is an International Advisor of Positive Thoughts from Greece.
Let's Read about her journey
I was born in Athens, Greece. My childhood was full of great memories. The school was challenging but very fulfilling. I had always wanted to be a teacher since I was in primary school. I knew that this was my life purpose. I entered the education department of Athens University after I had passed the very demanding Pan-Hellenic exams.
During my studies, I got interested in experiential and inquiry-discovery learning.
Today I am a Global Educator, STEM Instructor, ICT Teacher Trainer, Researcher, International Keynote Speaker and Global Peace Ambassador in Greece.
I never stopped learning and evolving in my field. With a post-graduate degree in language teaching related to cognitive neurosciences, I am now exploring cognitive psychology and neuroeducation, the principles of which I apply when designing and teaching STE(A)M to my students. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and STEAM also include arts like painting, collage and theatrical play amongst more traditional approaches. I use a combination of theoretical and practical experiments, immersing students into the world of STEM methodology allowing them to think critically and even make mistakes.
I promote STEM vision by introducing STEM in astronomy and physics projects and I also combine STEM with Language Teaching. In my teaching practices, I leverage common materials for the teaching of complex physics concepts. For example, within the framework of a CERN innovative program, my students depicted the CMS detector using wood, collages, Lego, three-dimensional printing, organizing art exhibitions. My teaching style is creative and I believe in challenging my students for them to exceed all expectations.
Furthermore, I am the Founder and International Coordinator of many innovative, humanitarian international projects that focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals described in the 2030 Agenda. I am also an author of scientific books for kids. My latest book is called “Planetary Interviews”.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was the Founder and International Coordinator of the STEAM International project called “COVID-19: A Life-changing experience”. The project focuses on 3 out of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) described in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Good health and well-being, quality education and reduced inequalities) and promotes creative Project-based learning (PBL) activities.
Recently, I wrote a new innovative STEAM International project for “Center for Peace Advocacy and Sustainable Development” which is called “Gender-based violence: Why peace is a much better option” and has started to be implemented with great success in public schools in Nigeria. The outcome of this project is the strengthening of the idea of peace among members of societies that experience conflict, especially gender-related conflict. This school-based intervention can promote gender equality and prevent violence against women by challenging stereotypes that give men power over women. The project is based on 5 out of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) described in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promotes STEAM-based and PBL (Project-based learning) activities.
Moreover, recently, I wrote a new project for the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs and particularly the Directorate of Educational Technology and Innovation, where I work. The project is addressed to primary Greek schools and it’s called “SOS! We are changing the Earth’s climate”. It’s an Interdisciplinary STEAM project that aims at raising children’s awareness of climate change.
Currently, I am a STEM instructor at the Greek Astronomy and Space Company (Annex of Salamis) and I am also working at the Greek Ministry of Education, at the Directorate of Educational Technology and Innovation where I write STE(A)M projects for Greek schools.
One of the biggest challenges I encountered on my path was the bias against women in science or STEM education. It’s more challenging for a woman to be accepted as an equally important member of the STEM community. Women need to act as a group. That’s how we will become stronger. On the contrary, competition among ourselves makes us weaker.
I had to sacrifice many things in life. I don’t have a family because my professional goals take up a big portion of my time but I have to keep my life balanced. So I surround myself with many friends and students who are a big family for me. Everything I do becomes meaningful because of my students all over the world. I want to see them shining and one day become the best version of themselves. I also want to see myself in the best possible version. Life can be very interesting when you are on this never-ending journey.
In many cases, teachers go beyond themselves, creating teaching tools that take the lesson to the next level and give the information to the students in a playful way, which makes it easier for them to absorb it. This is what I also strive to do with my students.
I find it easy to work hard many hours in a row because I really love my work. I like collaborating with many people and I used to say that I am a perfectionist but now I have realized that there is no perfection in this world, only evolution. I am only trying to make things better and better. It seems that my efforts led me to great awards. I have been awarded many National and International prizes (over 120) and I am a “Global Teacher Award 2020 & 2021” (AKS Awards) winner and a “Global Teacher Prize 2019” (Varkey Foundation) finalist. Recently, I have been selected as “Global Icon 2020” featured in “Passion Vista” Magazine, among the top 10 women entrepreneurs featured in “Fortune India” and among the “100 most successful women in business” featured in an Amazon book by “Global Trade Chamber ”.
I felt great joy and I became emotional when I was informed that I was awarded the "Global Teacher Award 2020". My joy is the same as it was when I won my very first prize.
This recognition justifies my many years of efforts, struggles and sacrifices in the field of education and gives me the impetus to continue even more energetically. I also feel proud to represent Greece and Greek Education with this distinction.
I was very concerned about the pandemic but I think you have to use whatever you have at a time of crisis. When you do not have the means, you can succeed with the mind, the heart, the soul, with a strategy and responsible leadership. My teaching methods based on the principles of neuroeducation, brain-based learning, made the cover of “K12 Digest”, the Independent International education portal and magazine, at the start of the pandemic, when lockdowns were enforced for the first time in several countries across the world.
I wrote in my article that we are living through the world’s largest home-schooling experiment, as I guided teachers in their first steps of remote learning. It was also an unprecedented social experiment revealing our need for human connection.
Moreover, I am the Ambassador of Education of Greece and some of my titles include “Global E-Innovation Winner”, “Pan-European Diversity in STEM Winner”, and “Education Leader of 2020”, “Distinguished teacher 2020” to name a few.
Furthermore, I am a Social Activist, a Global Peace Ambassador and an Ambassador of the Ecumenical Delphic Union. I am International Ambassador of Volunteerism and Education of the Greek “Academy of Volunteerism and Education Help Hellas”. I am also a member of the educational committee of the Ecumenical Delphic Union in collaboration with Harvard University. I have received many humanitarian and many peace awards from International Humanitarian Organizations.
In addition, I collaborate with many International Organizations of Education, Arts and Culture, I am an Editorial Board Member of many journals, I presented my research in numerous International Conferences and E-conferences and I have published papers in various journals.
I think that the career of an evolving educator never reaches its peak. There are always new challenges and new goals. There are also obstacles that I need to overcome. This is a never-ending process. In the future, I want to expand my STEM projects. Moreover, I want to work more on the relation between neuroeducation and special education, and I am going to deepen and systematize my research.
I have another life purpose, too, which is a charity and socially-oriented work. My dedication to underprivileged children led me to found projects for developing countries in Africa and Asia. The projects that were implemented in Africa were related to water, food, COVID-19 and gender-based violence. Human rights was also another field that attracted my attention. That’s why I deliver speeches on human rights and especially women’s rights during the International conference to spread the idea of peace worldwide.
I am grateful for all my experiences as a teacher. However challenging they may have been, they offer me a life full of meaning and goals. Every experience can turn into an opportunity for me to evolve. Becoming a teacher was the best choice of my life.
if you want to connect with me, here are the links
Linkedin :