June 14, 2013

Alumna receives awards for outstanding teaching

Laura Todis MAT ’10 was recently recognized for her outstanding teaching with two awards—the Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence (AASTE) and Teacher of the Year for the Fillmore Unified School District in California.

Laura Todis MAT ’10 was recently recognized for her outstanding teaching with two awards—the Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence (AASTE) and Teacher of the Year for the Fillmore Unified School District in California.

Todis, a science teacher at Sierra High School in Fillmore, was one of only nine teachers across the country to receive the AASTE award, which comes with an unrestricted $5,000 grant for her and a restricted $5,000 grant for the enhancement of the school’s science program.

“I’m very excited because it’s been wonderful this year,” Todis said. “I’m just starting to see the spark in a lot of the students with their interest in science and environmental science, especially.”

According to this article, Todis has engaged students by getting them outside the classroom to practice what they learn. She partnered with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to help students learn about the Santa Clara River and its importance to the community. She has also added plants around the school to improve its look and feel.

Said Jeanette Schulz, Amgen’s senior manager of corporate contributions, “The hands-on experience that these students have in Laura’s classroom….motivates them to go on and want to pursue a career in science.”

Teacher Education