BHSU alums receive Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching

Leah (Termes) Oxner, ’13, math teacher at West Middle School in Rapid City, and James Stith, ’10, science teacher at Newcastle High School in Newcastle, Wyo., received the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). They received a citation signed by President Trump and $10,000 from the National Science Foundation.

Oxner completed a master’s degree at BHSU in 2013. She says having her father, former BHSU professor Tom Termes, video-record her in the classroom as part of the Award selection process was especially meaningful. After being nominated for the award and selected as a state finalist, nominees record their teaching activities, keep track of student test scores, and submit a written report.

“When I invited my dad to help with the classroom recording, it was the first time he’d been in my classroom. To have him experience a day with me after he had been in education for so long was really special,” says Oxner.

Oxner says she enjoys seeing students’ victory when they work on a math problem, struggle to find the solution, and get it right.

“You see so much growth teaching middle school math. Sixth grade is just beyond elementary school and they transform into high school students during that time,” says Oxner. “It is fun and rewarding to see that growth.”

Oxner encourages other educators to take the leap and earn their master’s degree from BHSU.

“On the other side of getting your master’s you’ll be a better teacher, more reflective about what’s going well and what’s not in your teaching,” says Oxner.

Stith says the advice of BHSU faculty to diversify his course load helped him land his first permanent job teaching biology in Newcastle, Wyo. He graduated with history and biology education degrees in 2010.

In Newcastle, Stith teaches environmental science, anatomy and physiology, scientific research, and computer science.

“My department as a whole has been very driven to change the way we teach science. I haven’t taught the same way any of the nine years I’ve been at Newcastle,” says Stith. “I use lesson plans as a guide but my teaching department has strong cohesion and that gives me the freedom to be innovative.”

Stith recently collaborated with the NASA Space Grant Consortium to launch weather balloons with his students and analyzed trash in a nearby park with his environmental science class. After competing in speech and debate at BHSU, Stith now coaches at Newcastle alongside his wife, Lexie Barrett-Stith, ’16.

About the Black Hills State University School of Education
The School of Education is the top education program in the region and one of the largest teacher preparation programs in South Dakota. More than 50 employers attend the annual Teacher’s Fair at BHSU each spring. The placement rate of teacher-education graduates in education fields is over 90 percent. BHSU offers 19 undergraduate and three online graduate degrees including:
Early Childhood Special Education
Elementary Education
Special Education K-12
Math & Science Education
Middle School Education
Physical Education
Science Education
Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction (online)
Master of Education in Reading (online)
Master of Science in Secondary Education (online)
 
Learn more at www.BHSU.edu/education or www.BHSU.edu/online