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Jane Diner Year after year, more students attend Jane Diner's classes than are on the class lists. And if they're not actually in the classroom, they're peering into the windows during class time. That's because for the past 16 years, Diner has inspired her students to "become the science" by getting out of their desks. "After I teach a concept, we move into the hallway and 'become' whatever we learned," Diner says. "When I teach protein structure, every student "becomes" an amino acid by joining hands. We then manipulate our positions to illustrate primary, secondary and tertiary structure. If one student is not paying attention, then the whole protein is denatured — it falls apart." That's just one of many examples of how Diner strives to make each class memorable. "I know from personal experience that I remember material if I can reframe it in some enjoyable context," she says. |
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Chantale Maheux Students interested in science are often drawn to the subject by those who play an inspiring role in their lives. That's how Chantale Maheux came to pursue a science career — and, as a second-year science and technology teacher, she hopes she serves as a role model for her own students. Maheux is known for her dynamic and varied teaching methods, and she encourages her students to think and to grow at their own pace. She is especially proud of her innovative techniques using educational games, scientific mini-projects and robotics. She especially likes to pique students' curiosity about subjects that initially have very little significance for them. "As I proceed along my career path as a science teacher, I will always continue to evolve," Maheux says. "While it is a tremendous challenge, the results are well worth pursuing." |
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David Riendl Inspired by Bill Nye, The Science Guy, David Riendl caters to relatively short attention spans, presenting material in a way that is anything but boring. In a lesson on density, Riendl simply asks students to measure the volume of a tank of water, and then measure it again as he dunks his head inside. The pre-dunk amount minus the amount left in the tank while said head is dunked, the students learn, equals the density of their colorful teacher's noggin. "If I'm energetic, excited and happy while presenting a topic, I find that my attitude is often contagious and more students are willing to listen and interact in the classroom," Riendl says. "Plus, I always encourage questions. That gives me quick feedback on class progress and makes my class feel more like we're having a dialogue than simply listening to a lecture." |
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Glenn Wagner Whether designing and implementing experiments with toys or cow eyes, for the past 18 years Glenn Wagner has ensured that his students learn — and can explain what they learn. Wagner believes that deep understanding happens when students work with authentic, meaningful problems where they build and share their knowledge within a community of learners. About those cow eyes? To enhance his optics unit in 11th grade physics, Wagner collects the eyes from a local abattoir and invites students to dissect them, remove the lenses and carry out simple optics experiments. Through this highly engaging activity, students learn about the anatomy of the mammalian eye including the location and function of important features like the retina and optic nerve. |
