Campbell Alumnae, Rachel Morgan (`06) and Carly Cox (`06) won the prestigious statewide student teacher science award sponsored by the North Carolina Science Teacher Association (NCSTA) at a conference in Greeneville, N.C. on Nov. 16. This award is given to outstanding first year science teachers whose student teaching and current classrooms promote scientific inquiry, sound pedagogy, accurate content and critical thinking. “This is big!,” said Dr. Mary Ellen Durham, associate professor at Campbell University’s School of Education. “When I found out our students won two out of the three awards, I was thrilled.” Each year the NCSTA presents up to three awards to emerging teachers. The candidates are judged on their performance during their students teacher assignments.The students are recommended on the initiative they showed in the classroom. Since each school in North Carolina has multiple student teachers, there is a big candidate pool of teachers to choose from. “The girls had no idea there were receiving this award because it was a blind nomination,” said Durham. Morgan and Cox received letters of recommendation from many important people that had worked with them over the year and provided evidence that they were outstanding teachers. The letters had specific examples of qualities that set them apart from other student teachers.”I love teaching and helping kids learn,” said Cox. “It makes it easy to become a good teacher when you love what you are doing and you have help from a very supportive family, amazing professors, a great cooperating teacher and from wonderful students.” Durham had nothing but high praise for both Morgan and Cox. “Rachel, who works at Willow Springs Elementary School, is recognized for the ability to integrate language arts and math in science lessons, making them interactive and relatable to the children,” she said. “She also teaches the kids that science belongs to everyone and isn’t bound by genders, ethnicity or culture. “Carly, who works at Apex High School, is able to take paper, chalk and paste- common office supplies- into science projects. She is highly skilled in integrating technology with science and is able to handle difficult topics such as genetics and ethical issues involved in science,” said Durham. “This is truly an honor,” said Durham. “Not only does this speak extremely highly of the quality of classroom practice demonstrated by these young ladies, it also reflects that the programs at the School of Education prepared them for the future.”
Campbell Alumnae win prestigious science award