NM SCIENCE TEACHER OF YEAR
Jessica Sanders teaches grades 6, 7
Jessica Sanders teaches 6th- and 7th-grade sciences at Berrendo Middle School.
The New Mexico Academy of Science has named middle school teacher Jessica Sanders its New Mexico Science Teacher of the Year.
“Sanders is a remarkable science teacher at Berrendo Middle School in Roswell … where she teaches 6th and 7th grade sciences,” academy officials said in a news release.
She was identified as a consistently exemplary teacher within the district, and has been pivotal in bringing her middle school and school district forward in STEM Education, they said.
Sanders was singled out for providing numerous STEM opportunities not only to her student population, but also to her local Girl and Boy Scouts councils.
“Sanders continues to advocate for rigor in scientific content for the future of Science Education in New Mexico,” according to the news release.
Sanders has authored and won a Devon Science Grants grant, The Prices Dairy Grant and Girls Moving Forward in Sports Grant. She is also currently a top 16 finalist for the Golden Apple Award to be announced at the end of this month.
She received her New Mexico Science Teacher of the Year award during a ceremony at the New Mexico Academy of Science Research Symposium at the Embassy Suites in Albuquerque on Nov. 4.
The NMAS each year solicits nominations from middle and high schools around the state for science teachers who have gone above and beyond the call in teaching science to their students.
The Outstanding Science Teacher awards have been given since 1968. Prior to 1990, awards were given to a K-12 teacher and a postsecondary instructor. From 1990-2016, awards were given to two K-12 teachers annually. Starting in 2017, the Teacher of the Year awards focus on science teachers teaching grades 6 to 12. The American Chemical Society presents a monetary award to the NMAS winning teacher.