By Jean Park
Physics teacher Karen Hutchinson and Middle School math teacher Darin Beigie were the first teachers to ever receive the Innovative Award. This award was a “big surprise” event for both teachers, Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts said.
The Innovation Award will be given to teachers who formulate creative ideas that help both students and teachers.
Hutchinson, who mentors the robotics team and assists the rocketry team, said that she “worked over the summer to change how [to] teach AP Physics B. Instead of lecturing during class, I would like to have students work on problems, show more demonstrations, and do more lab-type activities.”
“With my fellow physics teachers, I recorded a series of short videos, each a mini-lesson in physics,” Hutchison said. “Students will watch these podcasts as homework and hopefully learn from them as they would during a lecture in class.”
Beigie customized his curriculum guide to improve how the lessons in Pre-Algebra and Algebra I are taught.
He expanded and enriched the courses to step beyond the textbooksâ standards to match his own.
Huybrechts said she was very grateful for both the teachersâ input and hopes that this new award will inspire other fellow teachers to be innovative.
