Joann Billingsley Makes Her North East ISD Science Class Part of the Everyday World

Joann Billingsley always wanted to be a scientist. The day she received a microscope for her birthday, she rushed right in to prick her finger so she could look at her own drop of blood under magnification.

In her classroom in Eisenhower Middle School, she inspires each student with the same passion that she puts into her own learning. She is able to connect with each student, drawing out the special gifts that each child has inside. She asks her students to search creatively for answers, expecting them to give their best as learners, just as she does in her teaching. She expects respect from them and she gives it to them in the same measure.

The unique Learning Centers she developed incorporate interactive Web sites, PowerPoint presentations, hands-on laboratory experiments, model building, creative note-taking and research strategies. Students work in small groups, connecting and collaborating as they problem solve and acquire knowledge.

The success rate for all students using this learning format has been remarkable and well documented. "It is a strategy I am sharing with colleagues in all disciplines," Billingsley said.