This year, nominees must be Delaware seventh- through 12th-grade teachers who place special emphasis on educating students about Delaware's wetland, watershed, estuarine, coastal and ocean resources.
The Delaware Sea Grant College Program, in partnership with the Office of the Governor, established the Governor's Marine and Aquatic Science Teacher of the Year Award in 2001. The goal of the award is to recognize, on an annual basis, an outstanding Delaware teacher who has a strong commitment to marine and aquatic science education.
The winning teacher will be selected based on creativity and innovation of teaching methods, quality of instruction and impact of activities presented to students. A committee knowledgeable about state science education standards, teacher performance and impact in the classroom will review the nomination packages and determine the winner.
The winner will receive an all-expense-paid trip to either the National Marine Educators Association annual conference or to the National Science Education Teachers Association annual convention. The National Marine Educators Association conference, the largest assembly of marine and aquatic science educators in the world, will be held this summer in Savannah, Ga. The National Science Education Teachers Association convention, the largest meeting of science teachers in the United States, will be held March 2009 in New Orleans.
The winning teacher also will be recognized at Coast Day, the annual open house of the UD College of Marine and Earth Studies and Delaware Sea Grant College Program, and will have the opportunity to share project ideas and teaching techniques through hands-on activities or exhibits. Additionally, a press release will be issued statewide to recognize the honoree. The teacher's name and school also will be recorded on plaques that will reside in the Governor's Office and at the UD College of Marine and Earth Studies.
Hepsi Zsoldos, an eighth-grade earth science teacher at Talley Middle School in Wilmington, was the first recipient of the award in 2002. Last year, Donald Ott, a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at Lulu Ross Elementary School in Milford, won the award.
“It was a career high and an honor for me to receive it,” he said.
Ott explained that in addition to bringing attention to his school and the work of his students, the award benefited his career. He said it brought opportunities he wouldn't have had otherwise, including attending the National Marine Educators Association conference in Portland, Maine, this past summer.
“It was amazing in that I gained ideas that I can incorporate into my classroom,” he said.
Teachers may be nominated by an individual knowledgeable about their commitment to educating students about marine and aquatic resources. Self-nominations also are acceptable.
The official nomination form is easy to complete and may be downloaded from the Delaware Sea Grant Web site at [www.deseagrant.org]. Completed nomination forms must be postmarked no later than Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22.
To receive a printed copy of the nomination form or for more information, contact Rita Baty with Delaware Sea Grant at (302) 645-4346 or [rbaty@udel.edu].
To learn more about the award and the Delaware Sea Grant College Program, visit [www.deseagrant.org]. For more about UD's College of Marine and Earth Studies, visit [www.ocean.udel.edu].
Article by Elizabeth Boyle
