Jessica Girvin is no ordinary science teacher in the classroom. From her hands-on learning style to connecting with students, her work both inside and outside the class has brought her through the rigorous process of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Winning the award has brought her what she would call “street cred.”
“It’s a really nice feather in the cap,” Girvin said. “I feel like this recognition just lends me a little bit of authority, to voice my opinion and be taken seriously.”
With the award honoring educators who demonstrate excellence in math and science, submitting videos of lesson plans and gathering recommendations was just a small part of the process Girvin went through to win this award.
“I was asked to talk about the lesson that I taught,” Girvin said. “I was asked to talk about my teaching philosophy, the ways that I teach, the ways that I help non-traditional learners, and the way I help students just across the board.”
Through all the work, Girvin’s teaching style shined through giving her a unique step-up in the competition. Creating connections in the classroom is something Girvin strives to do to keep her students “more engaged.”
“I want all of my students to know that they are seen and that they matter and I feel like those relationships become really important when it comes to the classroom,” Girvin said. “I think the thing that I do best is just connecting with kids.”
Girvin is no stranger to this award. Before being nominated, she had heard about it from her husband winning it about 10 years ago. Girvin was “exceedingly honored” just to be nominated. When she found out she had won, this honor became even bigger.
“It means the world to me, I was frankly stunned if I’m going to be honest,” Girvin said. “I happened to be checking my email for something else and I got the email and I was kind of stunned. It took my breath away.”
After winning, support from staff and students have been passed onto Girvin. Whether it is a friend or someone she has never met, the community has congratulated Girvin for all her hard work in this “competitive” competition.
“It’s been pretty cool actually,” Girvin said. “I always get a little bit embarrassed because I don’t love being in the spotlight, but it’s been really nice how people have been reaching out and congratulating me and saying nice things.”
Girvin hopes that this award brings her voice to other educational opportunities. At this point in her career, Girvin wants to “dedicate” her time to academic policies at both the state and national level for not just science, but “education as a whole.”
“I’m interested in what’s happening at the state level and at the national level,” Girvin said. “I feel like if I lend my voice to those things, I have credentials that say that I know what I’m talking about.”
With Girvin winning the award, she is now running against other applicants at the national level.
“My application will be reviewed again by people from the National Science Foundation and other educational elites,” Girvin said. “It will be looked at at a higher level.”
Being recognized for the award highlights what Girvin’s classroom experience is like for her and her students. As a helpful and fun teacher to many, Girvin’s teaching style makes her stand out.
“I love what I do. I love teaching science,” Girvin said. “I’m excited about the content, so I want kids to be excited. I love trying different things and trying to teach in a slightly less traditional way that gets kids hands on and interested in the content and gets it related to the real world.”
