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The Biden administration recently named an educator in the East Central Independent School District one of the nation’s best science teachers.
On Jan. 13, the White House announced Fatimah Aboueisha was selected for a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
The news release explained that the presidential award is “the highest award K-12 math and science teachers can receive from the U.S. government,” and the awards recognize the “vital role that America’s teachers and mentors play in shaping the next generation of technical leaders, including scientists, engineers, explorers, and innovators.” More than 300 educators from across the country were selected, including five from Texas.
Aboueisha said she was first nominated for the award in 2021, when she was teaching a hybrid class, with some students attending in person and some students online. She said she was asked to submit a video of her teaching a science lesson and to complete an in-depth application about her leadership and her impact.
Her application then went through several rounds of review from mathematicians, scientists, and educators at both the state and national level before they sent it to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy for a final decision.
“When I found out I was a state finalist, I didn’t believe it,” Aboueisha said. “I thought I was a good teacher, but that’s as far as I thought.”
“It was amazing and great to see that other people are recognizing the impact, and that kids are actually learning,” she added, “because I got messages from parents and things like that. So, it was very rewarding.”
Aboueisha is now an associate dean at East Central High School, where she coaches teachers. She said her advice for science teachers is to start their lesson with a demo or real-life example that sparks kids’ curiosity.
“A curious kid is going to be a critical thinker. They’re going to ask questions, and they’re going to want to know more,” Aboueisha said. “[In] one of the lessons, I would talk about how atoms are like little people. They have their own personality, and certain ones want to bond with certain ones— for a reason, though.”
Aboueisha’s undergraduate degree is in molecular biology. She previously taught chemistry.
“Chemistry, in general, is seen as a very hard subject for some of the kids,” Aboueisha said. “When you animate and make science come to life, the kids realize that … this is life. It’s what’s around us. It’s not that hard. A lot of it actually could be common sense, too.”
Aboueisha said mentors have played a very important role in her career since she became a teacher 11 years ago, and now she tries to fulfill that same role for East Central’s beginning teachers.
“Starting from year one, I had a mentor, somebody that gave me feedback all the time,” she said. “When I did something good, they said, ‘You’re doing awesome.’ When I was struggling, they provided that feedback and were able to help me. So that’s something that I think every teacher needs.”
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