Tumwater Middle School teacher in the running for national STEM teaching award
A Tumwater Middle School teacher is among four Washington state educators who are finalists for a national award that recognizes deep knowledge and excellence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.
Anthony Harris, who teaches science, is in the running for $10,000 from the National Science Foundation, a trip to Washington, D.C., to attend recognition events, and a certificate signed by the President of the United States.
It’s the highest award a K-12 STEM teacher can earn and be recognized for by the U.S. government.
According to a news release from the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching is given out every year. The state finalists are chosen by a statewide committee made up of teachers, district staff, subject matter experts and other stakeholders.
On the national level, there’s an award committee that will choose finalists based on “mastery of content, effective instructional approaches that support student learning, effective use of student assessments to guide learning, reflective practice and lifelong learning, and leadership and equity in education inside and outside of the classroom,” according to the release.
The President can recognize up to 108 teachers every year, according to the release, and more than 80 from Washington have been recognized since the program started in 1983.
State Superintendent Chris Reykdal said in the release that these teachers’ ways of engaging with their students in math and science prepares them for lifelong success.
“These outstanding educators are creating learning experiences guided by their students’ own curiosity about the world around them,” he said.
During the interview process, Harris was asked what a math and science teacher can do to make the fields more culturally sustaining for students with diverse backgrounds. He said all students need to be able to see themselves as scientists.
“We start each year identifying our embedded stereotypes,” he said. “Most students start out thinking scientists are dudes with crazy hair mixing chemicals in a lab. I’m sure there are, but I show them so many more examples. After a couple days, students realize that scientists can be anybody studying anything that interests them anywhere.”
More information about Harris and his love for teaching is available in an online interview.
The other finalists are Rama Devagupta, a science teacher at Southridge High School in the Kennewick School District; Dave Gamon, a science teacher at Northwood Middle School in the Mead School District; and Sara Rubio, a math teacher at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School in Seattle Public Schools.
