Cordova High science teacher Cara Heitz never expected to become Alaska's 2012 Teacher of the Year. "I happened to be the one picked out of a lot of outstanding Alaska teachers," she says. But it's no surprise to many Cordova residents.
After arriving in Cordova five years ago, Heitz' energy, knowledge and enthusiasm for science has made her one of Cordova High's most popular teachers. Once she connects with students who realize she's open to their thoughts, ideas and questions, Heitz finds it easier to get them excited about science.
Teaching, she says, has to be dynamic -- and the lessons relevant. She uses a variety of techniques, including hands-on lessons, cooperative learning activities and student blogs about science news they've found. The methods make learning science better and easier for students. Heitz also brings humor and a touch of silliness to the classroom. Her stash of Jolly Ranchers is well known throughout the school.
"Ms. Heitz represents all of those teachers whose infectious enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, their subjects brings out the best in their students," said Alaska Education Commissioner Mike Hanley said in a press release.
At a time when U.S. schools are falling behind other countries in math and science scores, Heitz says Cordova's standards-based assessments exceed state averages. She's also seen more girls performing well in high-level science courses rather than shying away from them. As a woman in the sciences, Heitz feels she's a role model for girls and someone who can convey her passion for the subject.
Heitz wants her lessons to spill over into all aspects of her students' lives. Some graduates have contacted her, saying what they learned in her classroom set them up for success in college courses or other life paths. It's not just the science they learned, but her methods of teaching students to be creative, critical thinkers pay lifelong dividends.
Holding a bachelor's degree in zoology from Miami University of Ohio, Heitz completed her coursework toward a medical doctorate at the MCP/Hahnemann School of Medicine in Philadelphia in 1998. When Heitz was a medical student, she worked with high school students and found her calling as an educator.
Now she compares teaching to healing. "In medicine," she says, "people need to have an understanding of how the body works to help it heal. In terms of education, ignorance is detrimental to life."
She helps students become critical thinkers who ask questions in an effort to understand the world around them. She wants students to learn science as a way of thinking and solving problems.
To stay on top of the variety of science subjects she enjoys, Cara reads up on the latest developments, attends professional workshops on technology, and is active in a number of science listserves where she receives information on everything from current topics to lesson ideas to scholarships available to students. Her marine biology class sparked a discussion on an international forum regarding the species of fish they found in one of their tire colonies in the Cordova Harbor.
Outside the classroom, Heitz and husband John enjoy hiking, spending time with their dogs, traveling, gardening and reading. Though she uses technology in all aspects of her teaching, Heitz avoids it in her personal life. She owns neither a television nor cell phone.
It's more fulfilling, she says, to not have the technology around all the time so she can enjoy other aspects of her life. The couple's goal is to homestead on their own land and live off the grid. After completed a half marathon this past June, Heitz and is training for a full marathon in Rochester, N.Y., this September.
Originally from Rochester, Heitz taught in Fort Collins, Colo., and moved to Alaska in 2004 to teach in Manokotak, Koliganek, and New Stuyahok.
What's next for the Alaska Teacher of the Year? Plenty.
Later this month, she will travel to Dallas to meet teachers of the year from other states. Later, she'll visit Princeton, N.J., and New York City, and participate in speaking events around Alaska. She will deliver a keynote speech at the 2013 Alaska Society for Technology in Education (ASTE) meeting. And she'll meet President Barack Obama.
Along with a scholarship to further her own education, Cara will bestow a $60,000 scholarship on an Alaska student through the Teaching it Forward program.
The Teacher of the Year award includes a technology package for Cordova schools, including one of the latest Smart Boards available and schools-wide licensing for the necessary software. Cara will host technology training and workshops for other Cordova teachers.
But it's her planned July trip that elicits the most excitement. "I'm going to Space Camp!" she said. Yes, she'll attend the International Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala. What more could a crack science teacher ask for?
Perhaps a national honor. The four finalists for National Teacher of the Year will be announced later this month, and a ceremony in April will name the ultimate honoree.
Elaine Griffin, a teacher at Chiniak Elementary School at Chiniak on Kodiak Island was the last Alaskan to win the national award in 1995.
Recent Alaska Teacher of the Year Winners
2011 - Lorrie Heagy, Glacier Valley Elementary School, Juneau.
2010 - Jackie Lee Johnson, Pioneer Peak Elementary School, Palmer
2009 - Robert Williams, Colony High School, Palmer
2008 - Raymond Voley, Kenny Lake School, Copper River
Cathy Pegau can be reached at cpegau@yahoo.com.