Sandy Katula

2009 Distinguished Educator Awardee

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Now an assistant principal at Columbia Central School, Katula formerly taught 8th grade science at Central Middle school in Tinley Park. Six years ago she attended the summertime B&C teacher training workshop at Fermilab and was impressed with the approach. "Putting emphasis on the process, not just on drilling vocabulary, is something in which I've always believed. The purpose of learning is not just to understand the words [in the science units]; it's for students to understand the process. Beauty & Charm is a unit that can serve as a model for others."

Following the unit, Katula brought her students on a virtual field trip to Fermilab. She sought to expose them to a scientific environment, and, most importantly, to give them insight into the cutting edge of knowledge about the physical world.

"I wanted them to experience some of the frustrations involved in the study of particle physics. Although the content is not specifically stated in the standards, the process and thinking skills are invaluable. I would tell students that they're learning about concepts that most of their parents never learned."

Challenging herself to learn more was part of the appeal of B&C for Katula. "Sometimes when students had questions, I wouldn't have answers and it would make me go deeper into the materials. It's rejuvenating for a teacher to have to learn something new — it gets you sparked again," she says.

Katula's first involvement at Fermilab began years before she took the Beauty & Charm workshop. Finding herself in a district with a highly regimented, vocabulary-oriented approach to science, Katula felt impelled to involve herself in curriculum planning. She asked Susan Dahl at the Teacher Resource Center for assistance in finding material to support a richer approach to science instruction.

Katula drew on Fermilab education resources again when she enrolled in a Summer Secondary Science Institute in Physics. "The SSI's were challenging for me," she says. "Physics was never one of my strong points and it was a challenge to be with high school teachers who had a deep grasp of a lot of the material. But I found that everyone was very accommodating and helpful and the program became a resource I could tap into at any time." Why did she take on this challenge? "As a teacher, as in life, you want to take your weakness and make it your strength."

Now in her second year as an administrator, Katula says that she would like to get her entire science department out to Fermilab. She is pleased that two teachers from the school took the Beauty & Charm workshop together last summer and she feels that they will benefit from having done their training together. "Together they can work through the unit and make the necessary modifications for our population," she remarks. "It helps to have someone in close proximity thinking about the same issues at the same time."

The text of the 2009 Distinguished Educator Award cites Katula for "Her exemplary approach to teaching science through a conceptual, hands-on and student-centered approach." It further notes that, "Through participation in a classroom-centered program, Beauty & Charm, and a teacher professional development program, Summer Science Institutes, Sandy has increased her content knowledge and teaching strategies. As a leader, Sandy listens to her colleagues and helps make decisions based on student needs. 'She is always striving to be the best teacher she can be.'"