An urban fashion designer who tailors astronaut suits? A restaurant chef turned space station foodie? Science sneaks its way into unexpected places, Terri Henry teaches her 8th grade students. And the subject is anything but boring in her Georgetown classroom. “I know if I get bored, my kids will get bored,” she said.
In Mrs. Henry’s classroom, cells pulse under the microscope; the earth moves in plate tectonic activities; and predators prey in studies of food chains in Yellowstone National Park. Some of her students already have notions to become a doctor. Others don’t yet understand that scientific concepts underlie their constantly changing day-to-day world. “I try to make it real for them,” she said.
Similarly, in 17 years of teaching, “I’ve seen a huge change,” in what it takes to help students best learn those concepts, Mrs. Henry says. Her goal is to keep up as she demystifies the scientific world to young minds, unveiling potentially hidden interests in medicine or other science-based professions.
That’s why the Texas Medical Association (TMA) -- through its philanthropic arm The TMA Foundation (TMAF) (https://www.texmed.org/foundation/) -- awards talented science Texas teachers like Mrs. Henry added financial support. TMA’s recent expansion of the Ernest and Sarah Butler Awards for Excellence in Science Teaching now gives more teachers the opportunity to unlock that potential. TMAF helped make that possible by nearly doubling the funding available in 2017 and beyond. The decision coincides with a national teacher shortage, particularly in the sciences, with Texas ranking second behind California, according to Teachers of Tomorrow (https://www.teachersoftomorrow.org/teacher-shortage-infographic).
TMA’s nearly 30-year-old program promotes the role of science in modern society and honors elementary, middle, and high school teachers “who share their energy and enthusiasm for science through creative and innovative methods to cultivate student interest in medicine and science.” A TMAF endowment established by Dr. and Mrs. Ernest C. Butler of Austin provides major support for the program, as do gifts from physicians and their families.
Mrs. Henry was among a dozen veteran and rookie teacher awardees this year statewide. She plans to use some of the $6,000 TMAF grant she received in May to attend a workshop targeting the hands-on teaching approach she adheres and take new techniques back to Benold Middle School.
Otherwise, “it’s worksheet after worksheet because that’s the only other way you can do it. And we can’t always get into a computer lab (for simulations); they don’t always work; and the kids get bored with them, so we need that hands-on” approach, she says, so students can learn to problem-solve and think for themselves.
Mrs. Henry often spends money out of her own pocket to purchase equipment needed for a subject that’s not inexpensive to teach. An additional $2,000 TMAF awarded to the school itself to boost its science curriculum also will help with resources. Mrs. Henry’s class currently shares a $1,000 budget with seven other science classes.
Eighth grade is a critical year for young Texans, she notes. The state encourages students to start choosing an educational path in high school, many of whom explore the STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) or medical sciences pathways as they graduate from Mrs. Henry’s classroom. In Georgetown, students’ futures also are influenced by the presence of nearby nursing and pharmaceutical programs.
“Thank you for recognizing science teachers across the state and giving us an opportunity with funding to be able to bring things back to our classroom and do things with our students a lot of times we can’t do because it’s out of our reach,” Mrs. Henry said. “Thank you very much for recognizing that science is important in the school system and not just a class they need to pass.”