 |
Javier González Delgado Javier González Delgado credits his interest in science to the excellent science teachers he had in his formative years. "They explained everything with such interest and devotion that they transported me beyond books and the classroom," he says. Today, Delgado basis his teaching principles on the belief that every class should be interesting and that students should have fun while they learn. He incorporates the creation of 3D models of planets, the layers of the Earth's crust, volcanoes and other parts of nature into his teaching techniques and often organizes field trips. In fact, his students recently took part in cleaning the Salinas Lagoon in Ponce and the Tallaboa River in Peñuelas. In 2006, his students won Best Project in Technological Integration, an award given by the Computer Learning Center. |
 | |
 |
Mirma J. Berríos Figueroa While teaching in a juvenile detention center in 1992, Mirma J. Berríos Figueroa received two significant honors: She was named Teacher of the Year and, perhaps more importantly, one student said he never would have left public school if he'd had a teacher like her. With that, she decided to move to Puerto Rico's Public Education System. "If I can keep one student from leaving school and ending up in a penal institution, then I am doing something right," she says. Since then, Figueroa has developed initiatives to help students avoid drug use, coordinated science investigation projects, was elected Teacher of Excellence in 2002 and 2003 and received NASA certification to handle lunar samples. She has participated in NSTA teaching workshops in the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and was a candidate for Astronaut Teacher in 2003. Figueroa is working on her master's degree in Science Education, and she participates in the Science and Mathematics Alliance of the University of Turabo. |
| |
 |
Alexandra Rodriguez Negron "To teach students to love science in their every day lives and inspire them to explore science beyond their lives." Alexandra Rodriguez Negron says that's her goal as a chemistry teacher. Inspired by one of her own teachers, Negron found her love of chemistry in the 10th grade and, through tutoring her peers, her love of teaching. Today, she is especially proud of her school's science department. Through Negron's leadership, the department has completely renovated the science curriculum and lab facilities. Her passion for the subject is contagious, and rarely do students sit down passively for a lecture. Instead, they engage in lively discussions and participate in activities and demonstrations. In fact, many of her students continue to study science outside of her classroom. |
| |
 |
Marialuisa Colón Santiago Spanish poet Gabriel Celaya's observation that scientists are the only true lovers of life because they're the ones who work to find its mysteries is exactly what inspired Marialuisa Colón Santiago to teach science. "Loving science is loving life," Santiago says, as she strives to bring "inventiveness and creativeness" to the classroom to awaken students' desire to discover and reflect. Santiago believes that learning requires active participation from students, and she goes to great lengths to ensure that they understand necessary concepts and apply them to their daily lives. She encourages students to use what they learn in their community and, as a result, become effective community leaders. Santiago was named Excellent Teacher in the Special Education Program, and her writing has been recognized in the Cerro del Olvido newspaper. |
