West’s Ramsey wins nation’s top science award
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Now imagine having to explain it to a group of first- and second-grade students so they understand it. Would they know the answer if you were the one teaching class?
While intimidating for most, the first- and second-graders who were in science teacher Beverly Ramsey’s class at West Elementary last year should be able to explain the basic idea with very little effort. That’s because Ramsey created a one-of-a-kind, hands-on lesson using simple devices like rubber bands, cups and other common objects to show it is vibration that produces sound.
Her efforts have been noticed, as West principal Marsha Newman observed Ramsey’s teaching style and nominated her as an outstanding teacher, which she won at the state level last year.
That nomination turned into something bigger last week when Ramsey became one of just 95 teachers nationwide who were awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
“Her kids were right there listening and soaking up everything she said,” Newman said of nominating Ramsey. “She always had something growing in her room and they would go outside and discover things. It was just a fun place to be and I just felt like somebody needed to know that.”
Administered by the National Science Foundation and made official with a certificate signed by President Bush, the award is the nation’s highest honor for math and science teachers.
Teachers who receive the distinction not only get an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to receive the award, but are paid $10,000 cash.
Ramsey said the idea to teach the sound lesson in the manner she did was inspired by a school visit by the Nashville Chamber Orchestra.
“They talked to the students about the instruments and how to make the low and high sounds,” she said of the orchestra’s visit. “When we got back to the classroom, they started questioning and asking, ‘How does it do that?'”
Knowing she had been nominated for the award, Ramsey knew she was required to submit a video tape of a lesson as part of that process, and the music lesson became the lesson she turned in.
“I was very excited, but I was very humbled, though, to think I could go to Washington for teaching a lesson in science – for just doing my job and what I enjoy doing,” Ramsey said.
Director of Schools Dr. Jerry Hale extended congratulations to Ramsey and indicated Warren County citizens should be proud.
“It’s a very prestigious award and Mrs. Ramsey is very dedicated to her profession and what she does and is a very worthy recipient of this award,” Hale said. “I think it’s an indication of the type of instruction that is going on in Warren County schools and it’s a plus all the way around – for Mrs. Ramsey, West Elementary and the school system.”