Saturday, November 29, 2008

Apodaca earns state science award

State science group recognizes Sarracino teacher for her efforts as 'Outstanding Science Teacher'

Nat Holland El Defensor Chieftain Reporter,nholland@dchieftain.com

Sarracino Middle School teacher Theresa Apodaca was recently honored by the New Mexico Academy of Science with its annual Outstanding Science Teacher award.

Apodaca was nominated by Scott Collins, a professor of biology at the University of New Mexico, and Laura Crossey, a professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at UNM. Collins and Crossey work in a program that promotes science in Grades K-12. In the program, graduate students from UNM go into various classrooms in the state and work with science teachers.

"We have 10-12 teachers that work closely with the program. Theresa has just been one of the stars in our program. She presented with one of the students what they are doing at the national level," Crossey said. "From my perspective, Theresa is doing so much to be engaged. I was really happy to nominate her."

After she finished the third grade, Apodaca's family relocated. A Socorro native, she returned years later to pursue a degree at New Mexico Tech, where she met her husband Gregory Miller. After a move to Tennessee, Apodaca completed her bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and an master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Tennessee, in Knoxville.

In 1997, Apodaca returned once again to Socorro and began teaching in the Socorro schools as a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher. Later, she transferred to Sarracino to teach science.

"And now, only because I want to become a better teacher, I am pursuing a master's degree in Science Teaching at New Mexico Tech," Apodaca said.

Crossey described Apodaca's style as "refreshing."

"(Apodaca) has been really great at transferring her interest and her organized approach," Crossey said. "It's really important, in my opinion, for teachers to put that energy into the classroom. The teachers do so much for so little, it's nice to be able to give them a little something to recognize them for what they do."

"Teaching has fulfilled my life," Apodaca said. "I am doing what I have always wanted to do."

More information on the New Mexico Academy of Science can be found at www.nmas.org.

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