At the 2018 Best Should Teach Lecture and Awards Ceremony, CU 麻豆影院 will celebrate excellence in education by recognizing five faculty members, three K-12 teachers in local school districts and many graduate student teachers with awards on Sept. 6.
This year鈥檚 ceremony will feature Michael Puett, the Water C. Klein Professor of Chinese History and Anthropology at Harvard University. Puett will deliver his keynote talk, 鈥淗abits of the Mind: Global Approaches to Teaching and Learning.鈥� In addition, invited guest speaker Polly McLean, associate professor of Media Studies and past Best Should Teach Gold Award winner, will lead an introduction honoring Lucile Buchanan, the first black woman to graduate from CU 麻豆影院 and lifelong teacher.
The event will honor four CU 麻豆影院 faculty members, three K-12 teachers from local school districts and lead graduate teachers in the Graduate Teacher Program with Best Should Teach Gold and Silver Awards.
Best Should Teach faculty award recipients include:
- Teresa Foley, Senior instructor of Integrative Physiology
- Jenny Knight, Associate professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
- Bethy Leonardi, Instructor of Education and co-founder of A Queer Endeavor
- Tamara Meneghini, Associate professor of Theatre and Dance
- Janet Tsai, Instructor of Engineering Plus
Teacher honorees from partner school districts include:
- Benito Espinoza, Adams 12 Five Star School District, North Glenn Middle School
- Chris Hespe, 麻豆影院 Valley School District, Aspen Creek K-8
- Rachel Hofmann, St Vrain Valley School District, Mead High School
The Best Should Teach awardees were selected for their embodiment of the beliefs, behaviors, and skills of exemplary teachers. This year, we also opened up the call for nominations for CU 麻豆影院 faculty from students from all colleges and schools across campus.
The late lifelong educator Lindley Stiles and his wife Marguerite Stiles established the Best Should Teach Initiative in 1996, and Stiles鈥� inspiring motto is inscribed on the School of Education Building:
鈥淭o those who come, I leave the flame! Hold it as high as you can reach. If a better world is your aim, all must agree: The Best Should Teach.鈥�
Bethy Leonardi is an instructor at the School of Education and co-founder of A Queer Endeavor. Leonardi spent 16 years teaching middle and high school English, Math, and Social Studies while 鈥済etting schooled by brilliant youth, and falling in love with being a teacher,鈥� a love that persists in her current role. She teaches educational policy, social foundations of education, and queer topics in education, and all of her courses focus on equity, diversity, and social justice and challenge students to walk in to what often seems like vulnerable territory. 听
Janet Tsai is an instructor for the Engineering Plus program and her research focuses on ways to encourage more students, especially women and those from nontraditional demographic groups, to pursue interests in the 铿乪ld of engineering. Her work also seeks to identify the social and cultural impacts of technological choices made by engineers in the process of designing and creating new devices, systems, and standards.
Jenny Knight is an associate professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. Her current research focuses on understanding how students engage in complex problem solving and scientific reasoning, particularly in genetics. Knight is also nationally known for her research specialty in Discipline Based Education Research.
Tamara Meneghini is an associate professor of Theatre and Dance, as well as a professional actor, voice and movement coach, and teaching artist. At CU 麻豆影院, she has taught courses in acting, movement and voice for the stage. She created the 鈥淪enior Showcase鈥� that has become an annual event for theatre majors wanting to showcase their work in either New York or Los Angeles.
Teresa Foley is a senior instructor of Integrative Physiology and teaches a broad range of upper-division IPHY courses. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Foley works closely with faculty to implement evidence-based 鈥渂est practices鈥� in curriculum development, student learning, and in-class teaching.