Nominate an Outstanding Earth Science Teacher of the Year! You Know Someone Who Deserves it

A what?

An Outstanding Earth Science Teacher of the year! There are a lot of teachers out there in California, Nevada and Arizona who are in the trenches of warfare against ignorance and apathy. If you are a teacher, you know the feeling of frustration that can come with students who don't seem to care, and yet you do all you can to make the sciences come alive. And once in a while you find you made a difference. Sometimes it may be years before you find out, but there are always the students who couldn't look like they were interested, but later on, inspired to go to college, they get back to the geological sciences, because of the interest you sparked. Or even better, they become teachers of the geosciences. And sometimes you even hear about it, and sometimes they will come back to thank you.

It's wonderful when that happens, but that also can be a rare event.

If you know a teacher of the earth sciences who tries to go that extra mile to bring the sciences alive, there is another way to grant him or her the recognition that they deserve. You can nominate them to be the Far Western Section's Outstanding Earth Science Teacher of the year. We can never know who the single best teacher is. We can only recognize the ones who deserve a bit of extra attention because they are the ones who put their heart into their work every day.

 

Outstanding Earth Science Teacher (OEST) awards are given for "exceptional contributions to the stimulation of interest in the Earth Sciences at the secondary level." Middle school and high-school teachers are eligible. Only ten national awardees are selected each year, one from each NAGT regional section.

• 2 year complementary membership in NAGT
  
• 3 year complimentary membership in the Geological Society of America (GSA)
  
• 3 year complimentary membership in GSA Geoscience Education Division
  
• $500 travel funds to a GSA meeting
  
• $500 classroom improvement funds from GSA

It is a straightforward process to nominate an OEST. The information can be found here. The deadline is May 1. Give it some thought: someone you know is a truly excellent teacher, and they deserve to know it.

Scholarships and Outstanding Earth Science Teachers: Upcoming Deadlines

A note from the national office of NAGT:

NAGT Scholarships for Field Study

NAGT offers $500 scholarships for students to attend field-based courses at any time of the year. In addition, the Association of Women Geologists sponsors two additional scholarships specifically for women in this program. Please pass this information along to students who may be interested in doing field courses. More information and the application instructions can be found on the program website - http://nagt.org/nagt/programs/field_scholarships.html
Application Deadline: February 14
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Outstanding Earth Science Teachers (OEST) Program

OEST awards are given for "exceptional contributions to the stimulation of interest in the Earth Sciences at the pre-college level." Any teacher or other K-12 educator who covers a significant amount of earth science content with their students is eligible. Ten national finalists are selected, one from each NAGT regional section. Some sections also recognize state winners. Individuals may apply themselves or nominate a colleague for the award. More information and the nomination instructions can be found on the program website - http://nagt.org/nagt/programs/oest.html
Application Deadlines vary by Section but begin as early as March 1
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Geoscience Teachers in the Park

The Geoscience Teachers in Parks (GTIP) program is a collaborative effort between NAGT and the National Park Service to provide professional development for K12 teachers of geoscience. Elementary, middle school, and high school teachers of geoscience, as well as recent graduates who are prospective geoscience teachers are eligible to take part in this program. The internship involves work at the Mammoth Cave National Park to learn from and collaborate with park personnel, local university staff, contracted researchers, and park partners. More information and the application instructions can be found on the program website - http://nagt.org/nagt/programs/GTIP.html
Application Deadline: March 15

The Far Western Section Outstanding Earth Science Teacher of the Year: Nick Crooker

Nick Crooker, an earth science teacher at Modesto High School in Modesto, California, is the Far Western Section OEST award winner for 2010. Nick came out of a background in biology and returned to school for an education in earth science so he could develop a well-rounded program at his school.

Nick has been a member of the NAGT for a number of years, attending conferences and field trips in the Far Western Section. He helped prepare the guidebook for the FWS Lava Beds National Monument conference in 2007.

Nick describes several important traits in a good teacher: Steadfastness helps in the teaching profession when the political environment tends to erode quality support in the classroom. Patience with each student helps him make them the best they can be. Flexibility enables him to handle unexpected problems and teaching situations in the classroom. Humor helps keep the instructor sane and the students interested in the subject matter. All of this is under the umbrella of a broad science background in the physical, environmental, and biological sciences. He is able to draw upon years of experience and incorporate this in classroom instruction.

Nick's classroom has rock displays and pictures coordinating with the State Standards. With tight budgets, field trips are an impossibility. With document cameras and LCD projectors, he shares with his students exciting places of geological interest via the internet and from his own personal travels.

Currently, he participates with the A.V.I.D. program at Modesto High School. This program takes selected students who will be the first to go on to a college education in their family, and engage them in a rigorous academic program throughout their four years in high school. He has also taught the natural and physical sciences for the local Adult School for the past 23 years.

Nick receives the Far Western Section OEST Award at the Fresno Meeting

Congratulations, Nick!

Meet the Far Western Section Outstanding Earth Science Teacher of the Year!

Laura Hollister teaches the earth sciences at Pitman High School in Turlock, California. She attended Modesto Junior College and California State University, Stanislaus, where she earned a BS in Geology. She worked several years in the geological consulting business before deciding to pursue a teaching career.

Laura is a very engaging teacher and strives to bring her philosophies to fruition by designing lessons with applicable, real-world experiences. She has created many multimedia presentations that include personal trip photos that demonstrate concepts in a vivid, virtual-type setting. She assures that the information presented within them is understood by all students with the creation of scaffolded notes. The notes allow students to fill-in important information to the pre-made lecture outline so that the kids can spend more time concentrating on the visuals, while at the same time teaching the students how to outline useful notes when they get into college. Laura also incorporates labs that encourage a hands-on approach to exploring and discovering the intricacies of the geosciences. At the completion of the day's exercises, students are required to write a song or poem, draw a picture, or create some other form of art to help them process and thoroughly remember what they learned in class.

Laura participates in Wildlink, which is run through the Yosemite Institute, whose goal is to provide access to and education about the greater Yosemite National Park Region. Students who are chosen for the program spend a week in Yosemite learning about wilderness ethics and the ecology and geology of the park. Laura is a co-advisor for the Pitman High Science Bowl and Science Olympiad teams. She also volunteers in the geology field studies program at the local community college, and has led trips for conferences of the Far West Section of NAGT.

See other current information in the NAGT Newsletter

Nominate an OEST!

A what?

An OEST: Outstanding Earth Science Teacher of the year! There are a lot of teachers out there in California, Nevada and Arizona who are in the trenches of warfare against ignorance and apathy. If you are a teacher, you know the feeling of frustration that can come with students who don't seem to care, and yet you do all you can to make the sciences come alive. And once in a while you find you made a difference. Sometimes it may be years before you find out, but there are always the students who couldn't look like they were interested, but later on, inspired to go to college, they get back to the geological sciences, because of the interest you sparked. Or even better, they become teachers of the geosciences. And sometimes you even hear about it, and sometimes they will come back to thank you.

It's wonderful when that happens, but that also can be a rare event.

If you know a teacher of the earth sciences who tries to go that extra mile to bring the sciences alive, there is another way to grant him or her the recognition that they deserve. You can nominate them to be the Far West Section's Outstanding Earth Science Teacher of the year. We can never know who the single best teacher is. We can only recognize the ones who deserve a bit of extra attention because they are the ones who put their heart into their work every day.

It is a straightforward process to nominate an OEST. The information can be found here. We don't have a large number of nominees, and would like to, so the deadline is extended. Give it some thought: someone you know is a truly excellent teacher, and they deserve to know it.

Far West Section honors the Outstanding Earth Science Teacher of the Year

Anna Foutz, a 9th grade earth science teacher at John North High School in Riverside, CA is being recognized as the Outstanding Earth Science Teacher of the Year by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, Far West Section (NAGT-FWS), which includes the states of California, Nevada and Hawaii. She is receiving the honor this weekend at the conference of the Far West Section at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California. Outstanding Earth Science Teacher (OEST) awards are given for "exceptional contributions to the stimulation of interest in the Earth Sciences at the secondary level." Middle school and high-school teachers are eligible. Only ten national awardees are selected each year, one from each NAGT regional section.

As the sectional awardee, she is receiving:

• 2 year complementary membership in NAGT
  
• 3 year complimentary membership in the Geological Society of America (GSA)
  
• 3 year complimentary membership in GSA Geoscience Education Division
  
• $500 travel funds to a GSA meeting
  
• $500 classroom improvement funds from GSA

Anna Foutz has a BS and MS in Geology from California State University, Los Angeles, and teaches 9th grade earth science at John North High School in Riverside, California, where she is currently the school’s representative on the District Earth Science Committee.

She was nominated for this honor by NAGT members because she is an energetic and enthusiastic teacher who encourages students to be excited about earth science, to be aware of the geologic hazards around them, and to be respectful of the environment. She strives to make the course material relevant, creating lesson plans that relate to current events, such as recent major earthquakes, or local issues, such as flood hazards in their own neighborhoods. Anna makes certain her students are confident as they take the California Earth Science Standards Test, but she focuses on making her earth science class fun and challenging as well.

Anna encourages critical thinking by having students work in groups on a daily basis, which gives the students a chance to teach each other and allows Anna to circulate around the classroom, guiding those with different learning abilities. All of her students are involved in every lab activity and they are all expected to turn in professional-quality lab reports using the scientific method.

Anna is a member of one of her school’s Ninth Grade Teams, which share a common Science teacher, English teacher and Health teacher. As part of the program, she organized a trip to Amboy Crater in the Mojave Desert for the students to see firsthand what they were studying in their class, including the San Andreas fault, wind generators, volcanoes, and topographic maps. Anna also had them imagine and describe what they would do or think if a cinder cone began forming in their backyard. This trip showed students the reality of what they are learning, and has inspired a few to think about becoming geologists.

The Outstanding Earth Science Teacher Awards program was adopted by NAGT in 1971. Any member can nominate a teacher in their area; nomination forms are available on the Far West Section website. For questions, please contact Garry Hayes