Tamica Stubbs, Biotech Booster

Charlotte Science Teacher Gets National Award

Tamica Stubbs is a bundle of energy.

That helps her keep bubbling with creative approaches to doing her job as a science teacher at E.E. Waddell High School in Charlotte.

 She says she has also gleaned teaching ideas and energy by joining the group of some 1,500 educators who have attended week-long North Carolina Biotechnology Center summer educators’ workshops during the past couple of decades.

She even believes her Biotechnology Center workshop experience contributed to her earning one of the nation’s highest teacher awards for 2010.

 Stubbs received the Shell Science Teaching Award from the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the world’s largest professional organization promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning.

The NSTA’s annual awards program honors K–12 teachers, professors, principals, and others for their outstanding achievement and innovative programs in science education.

Stubbs’ Shell award recognizes an outstanding classroom science teacher (K–12) who has had a positive impact on students, the school and the community through exemplary classroom science teaching.

Her award was presented at a special banquet and ceremony at NSTA’s 58th National Conference on Science Education in Philadelphia.

Prepare for tomorrow’s job market in biotech

Her science teaching philosophy is illustrated in the mantra she coined, “All students must be prepared for tomorrow’s job market in biotechnology.” This belief guides her as she structures her classes to be participatory, interesting, and interactive by utilizing different forms of media.

“In many ways, the teachers who receive the Shell Science Teaching Award are like the scientists employed by Shell Oil Company,” said Frazier Wilson, vice president for Shell Oil Company Foundation. “Our scientists work towards overcoming the energy challenge and building a bridge to a sustainable future; a teacher like Tamica Stubbs lays the foundation for building a new generation of problem solvers every year.”

One of many honors

In addition to the Shell award, Stubbs has won several awards for her innovative teaching style, including the Biotechnology Institute’s Teacher of Excellence in Biotechnology Award (2nd Place) and the North Carolina Biotechnology Institute’s Teacher of Excellence in Biotechnology Award (1st Place). Stubbs was also chosen to be a Fellow in the Society for Science and the Public.

“Through their hard work and dedication, these outstanding educators are making a difference,” said Pat Shane, president, NSTA. “They make science come alive for their students and help them realize the importance of science in their daily lives.”

More about NSTA

NSTA’s current membership includes more than 60,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education.