Excellent teachers get to know each of their students on a personal level, identifying their strengths and building upon them to make those students successful members of society.”
Beverly’s Story
Beverly Stuckwisch wanted to be a teacher for as long as she can remember: At six years old, she set up a classroom in her living room where she taught her little sister about the planets. She was fascinated with science and math throughout school, but it was her high school chemistry teacher who helped Beverly realize her passion for chemistry. “She was able to take a subject often thought of as difficult and boring and make it fun, interesting, and relevant!” As an undergraduate, Beverly explored other career options but kept coming back to teaching. “When I started in the teacher education program at Michigan State University (MSU) and got in the classroom, I knew that my first instinct had been right all along.”
Like her high school chemistry teacher, Beverly wants to show students “how fun, exciting and important science truly is.” As part of the MSU program, Beverly has had the opportunity to be in many different classrooms. She believes that getting to know her students personally is key: “I can build my lessons around their interests and support them in inquiry-based learning, helping them to feel more invested in the material.”
Beverly earned an honors BS in chemistry as well as her teaching credential and MAED from MSU. A National Science Foundation STEM Scholar, she was active in the Holmes Excursions and Learning Program, a campus volunteer and community service organization. A passionate snowboarder, Beverly loves the thrill of flying down a mountain. As a Knowles Fellow, she looks forward to “making connections with excellent chemistry educators all over the country whom I otherwise may have never found.”