The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) accepted Dustin Stockmann of Hazelwood Northwest Middle School to its NSTA New Science Teacher Academy program as a fellow for 2011-2012. The NSTA website describes the academy as a professional development initiative created to help promote quality science teaching, enhance teacher confidence and classroom excellence and improve teacher content knowledge.
Stockmann has been with HSD for two years as a science teacher. This year, he is teaching eighth grade.
“I applied for the NSTA program because I want to grow and learn everything that I can about teaching science and how I can effectively apply it to how students learn,” said Stockmann.
“As a participant, I will be expected to utilize e-mentoring, web seminars, attend the NSTA national conference, and use NSTA publications and products that are provided to me,” he continued.
The NSTA website states that according to a 2003 study by Richard Ingersoll, nearly 50 percent of beginning teachers leave their jobs in the first five years. The NSTA academy endeavors to use mentoring and other professional development resources to support science teachers during the often challenging, initial teaching years and to help them stay in the profession.
“What I enjoy about teaching science is that it is always changing,” Stockmann said. “There are always discoveries that happen all over the world, and it is up to science teachers like myself to bring this information to the students and help them learn more about everything in the world.”
The program will be influential in helping him “focus on not only how I teach, but the reason that I teach science.” The fellowship program involves teachers, scientists and a cohort.
“What I hope to learn from the program is how to be a great instructor of science education, not only to my students, but to my fellow science teachers in the District,” Stockmann said.
Participation in the NSTA fellow program is an example of the HSD value of committing to implementing innovative solutions while dismantling ideas that are no longer working for students.