Tag Archives: Science Teachers

Teachers who specialized in science.

CO science teacher and golf coach Colin Prater to play in US Open Championship

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High school science teacher and talented golfer Colin Prater of Colorado will be playing int he US Open Championship this week. Photo Credit: Linked In

Many talented teachers earn notoriety for accomplishments in fields other than education. One of these is Colin Prater, a high school science teacher from Colorado who has qualified to play in the US Open Championship this week.

Colin teaches science at Cheyenne Mountain High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He has instructed courses in biology, anatomy, environmental science, physics, chemistry, and sports medicine. He also coaches the boys and girls golf teams at his school.

This week, Colin will be playing in the 124th US Open Championship at Pinehurst Resort & County Cub. The teacher successfully navigated the qualifying rounds, including a 3-under-par 141 at the Pronghorn Resort in Bend, Oregon on June 3 to earn the second of the two available spots. Then, he competed against a field of 44 potential competitors at the 36-hole final qualifier. This week, he will be one of a total of 156 players who will meet at Pinehurst for the year’s third major championship. More than 10,000 tried out for a spot.

Since getting into the field, it’s been quite a whirlwind for the former NCAA Division II All-American who posted 14 victories while at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He appeared on “The Gravy & Sleaze” radio show on SiriusXM with two-time USGA champion Colt Knost and Colorado native Drew Stoltz, who also competed in the Four-Ball. Golf Digest and Golfchannel.com wrote profile pieces.

Colin earned a reputation as a talented amateur. He was a four-time Division II All-American when he was a student at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He won the Colorado amateur in 2016 and 2020. Since his graduation he has been named the Colorado Golf Association’s Player of the Year twice—in both 2020 and 2023. He has also garnered five CGA titles. In 2020, he became only the second player to win the Colorado Amateur (stroke play) and Colorado Match Play in the same year. And as if all that were not enough, he also garnered two Colorado Mid-Amateur titles. In fact, he could have chosen to pursue a career as a professional golfer, but decided her preferred a career in the classroom.

Occasionally, says Colin, he will make references to golf or other sports in his classroom. “But at the same time,” he hastens to add, “I want to give kids the opportunity to make their own connections. I think that’s the most important part: fostering their passions, their interests and giving them the freedom to do that,” he concludes.

Best of luck, Colin!

Texas STEM teacher Krystle Moos named TAS 2024 Outstanding Science Educator

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Texas science teacher Krystle Moos has been named the 2024 Outstanding Texas Educator by the Texas Academy of Science. Photo Credit: Texas Academy of Science

There are many outstanding educators working in public schools in Texas. One of them is Krystle Moos, a science teacher in Waco. She has been named the 2024 Outstanding Texas Educator by the Texas Academy of Science (TAS).

Krystle teaches at Midway Highway School. There she teaches courses in Chemistry Advanced Placement Chemistry. She has also served as the University Interscholastic League Science Coach for the past five years, with students who have gone on to the state level in each of the past two years. Her career as a secondary level science educator spans 17 years.

The daughter of a science educator, Krystle possesses a passion for uncovering science in the world around her. She brings this passion into the classroom through hands-on lab experiments and lessons while building students’ confidence in working through complex concepts. In addition, Krystle mentors student teachers through the Professional Development School partnership with Baylor University. Additionally, she is a teacher leader for a free professional development program offered to AP Chemistry teachers called APTeach. The program helps to showcase strategies to improve student learning.

Her recognition by TAS is not the only honor that Krystle has received. She has been named the Texas Region 12 Teacher of the Year; the Midway Independent School District Teacher of the Year; and Associated Chemistry Teacher of Texas 2022 Guest Speaker. In October 2023, Krystle was selected as a Texas state finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

Krystle earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York in 2007. She earned her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Baylor University in 2023. Additionally, she is a National Board Certified Teacher.

 

Former teacher Lisa Niver authors award-winning memoir

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Former science teacher Lisa Niver has published an award-winning memoir entitled Brave-ish which  won multiple awards! Photo Credit: medium.com.

Lisa Niver, a former junior high school science teacher from Los Angeles, California, is a podcaster, sought-after motivational speaker, travel agent, and travel writer. In fact, she has been recognized as one of the top five female travel bloggers. And now, the former teacher is a published author. She has released her new memoir entitled Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless after Fifty. The volume has already garnered multiple awards, including being named as a Nonfiction Book Award Gold Winner.

Brave-ish tells the story Lisa’s expeditions to far-flung corners of the world, including Vanuatu, Nepal, Myanmar, Cuba, Morocco, Kenya, and Mongolia. But her book is more than a travelogue. Her story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of perseverance. Brave-ish inspires readers to dream big, take risks, and embrace the unknown in order to create an exciting and wonder-filled life, even when courage seems out of reach.

Lisa has published many articles in online and in print magazines, including National Geographic, The Huffington Post, The Guardian, and The Jewish Journal. She was a 2012 nominee for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST). In 2018, she was nominated in three categories of the Southern California Journalism Awards: Science/Technology Reporting; Travel Reporting; and Personality Profile. To learn more about unique travel experiences, check out Lisa’s website at We Said Go Travel.

As for Lisa’s former career as an educator, she is well-known in science teacher circles for her instructional strategies that emphasize the use of technology in the classroom. She’s also noted for using students’ real world connections to explore their passions, and for teaching them to work towards solving today’s most complex issues. In 2009, Lisa founded the Los Angeles Science Teachers Network (LASTN),  a professional development network that by May, 2012, involved over 70 teachers and 40 schools. The effort was praised by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Educator and WWII war hero John “Bud” Hawk earned a Medal of Honor

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WWII veteran and war hero John “Bud” Hawk worked as a teacher and principal in Washington state for 31 years. Photo Credit: Dignity Memorial

Many excellent educators have also served our country in the military. One of these is John “Bud” Hawk, a teacher and principal who served valiantly in the US Army during World War II.

John was born on May 30, 1924, in San Francisco, California. When he was in the third grade, his family relocated to Bainbridge Island, Washington state, a place that John always considered home. He graduated from Bainbridge High School in 1943, and two weeks later he joined the US Army.

This intrepid soldier served in Europe as a sergeant in Company E, 359th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division, serving under then Lt. General George S. Patton. While there, John sustained injuries during a battle against the German army near Chamois, France. During this battle, John fought off German soldiers with his machine gun before an artillery shell destroyed it and wounded his right thigh. He found a bazooka and helped force German tanks into a forest. He regrouped two machine gun squads and built a working gun out of two damaged ones. Later in the battle, John braved gunfire at the top of a knoll to help tank destroyers sight their targets. Because the destroyer crews couldn’t hear his directions, Hawk ran back and forth several times to correct their range until two of the tanks were destroyed, a third retreated and 500 German soldiers surrendered.

For this heroic action, John earned a Medal of Honor from Pres. Harry Truman in 1945. During his years in the military, the future teacher was awarded no less than four Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star, and a Distinguished Conduct Medal from the United Kingdom. Later John was inducted into the French Legion of Honor.

After the war and his discharge, John returned to Washington state, where he enrolled at the University of Washington. There he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Biology. For the next 31 years, the military veteran worked as a teacher and principal in the Central Kitsap School District. He retired from the teaching profession in 1983.

Sadly, John Hawk passed away on Nov. 4, 2013. He was 89 years old. To honor him, Jackson Park Elementary School in Bremerton was renamed John D. “Bud” Hawk Elementary School.

 

NYC STEM educator Jessica Boyle garners a 2024 Sloan Award

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For her outstanding work in the classroom, New York City STEM teacher Jessica Boyle has garnered a 2024 Sloan Award for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics. Photo Credit: City of New York

When New York City science teacher Jessica Boyle leads her students in their hands-on study of human cardiovascular systems, diseases, and other scientific investigations, she is creating an exciting world of critical thinking, rigor, and experimentation that prepares her students for college and career readiness. For this outstanding work, Jessica has garnered a 2024 Sloan Award for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics.

Jessica’s passion for science can be traced all the way back to her own days as a student, when she attended a lecture by world-renowned anthropologist and primatologist Jane Goodall. That lecture triggered Jessica’s interest in physical anthropology. As a result, she completed courses in osteology, human genetics, and archeology, and even participated in a dig site in Illinois during her summers. Eventually, this passion led Jessica to complete her Master’s degree in Anthropology at New York University, an internship with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for New York City, and an internship as an anthropological consultant at New York University’s College of Dentistry.

When Jessica accepted a position as a science education teacher in 2006, she was assigned to instruct courses in biology, earth science, forensic anthropology, and anatomy and physiology. As an after school program, she introduced curriculum in human biology and disease. In 2013, Jessica was hired by the Knowledge and Power Preparatory Academy, where she served as a member of the Instructional Leadership Team, the Chair of the Science Department, and a Model Teacher. She also served as a mentor with the Mentoring in Medicine program where she helped under-represented students enter the medical field.

For her outstanding work as a STEM (Science, Technology, engineering, and Mathematics) educator, Jessie is one of seven educators who have garnered a 2024 Sloan Award for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics. The award spotlights teachers who go above and beyond to help their students succeed, inspiring young people to excel in science and mathematics and to pursue careers in related fields. Each recipient receives a crystal trophy and a cash prize of $5,000. An additional $2,000 goes to the school’s Science or Mathematics Department. To learn more, click on this link to the Sloan Awards.