Supporting Excellent Science Teaching for Georgia

District 5 Director: Dr. Vicki Meeler

I began my teaching career in 1996, teaching 6^th grade ELA and Social Studies in Newton County. A few years later, a gifted science position opened up, and I stepped into that role and never looked back.  Throughout my 22 years in middle school, I have taught all subjects and grade levels – including experiences in coteaching and exceptionally gifted – the one consistent course being science for all of those years.  While I enjoy all of the subjects, science quickly became my favorite as I found that students are naturally drawn to it. I gained a lot of energy from students’ natural curiosity and excitement for learning. The last seven years, I was given the opportunity to teach high school physical science to 8^th graders on a STEM team. In retrospect, those STEM years were some of the most rewarding (and exhausting) years I spent in the classroom.  In 2019, I moved from the classroom to the district office into the position that I am currently in – curriculum and instruction.  While I continue to miss the energy of the classroom, I do enjoy working directly with teachers as they forge new pathways in this quickly changing educational landscape. I have been an active member of GSTA for 15 years, and more recently NSTA. In that time, I have had wonderful opportunities to attend and present at conferences, and to network with other science educators.

In my personal life, I am married with three daughters.  My oldest daughters both attended UGA (one has graduated; the other is a senior), and my youngest daughter is a sophomore in high school. Being an Athens native myself, our family splits its time between Covington and Athens.  I am an amateur apiarist (beekeeper), and that takes up much of my spare time in the spring and fall. My other hobbies include traveling, reading, and spending time with my family.

I am honored and thrilled to serve GSTA District #5, and I am looking forward to being able to network with other science educators across the state of Georgia!

Education:

              *Bachelor of Science – University of Georgia (1994) – Major: History

              *M.Ed. – University of Georgia (1997) – Major: Middle Grades Education

              *Ph.D. – University of Georgia (2012) – Major: Cognitive Psychology/Gifted Education

Certifications: Grades 4-8 all core subjects, 6-12 science

Endorsements: Gifted Education, STEM Education, Coaching/Leadership

Current Position: Secondary Science Curriculum & Instruction Specialist (Newton County); Gifted Endorsement Instructor, Georgia Science Ambassador, Science & Engineering Fair director