ALUMNI PROFILE
Deb (Weaver '72) Teuscher
Earth sciences teacher, planetarium director,
science coach and technology integrator
Metropolitan School District of Pike Township
Indianapolis, Ind.
Major: biology
Twinkle, twinkle little star. For the past eight of her 20 years at Pike High School, Deb has split her time between directing the planetarium at Pike and teaching earthscience courses. She creates programming for the planetarium, which hosts pre-K through 12th grade students and adults. The school-age programs explore standard science lessons and are relevant to what students are studying in their classrooms. “I’m able to work closely with teachers and align my programming with what classes are studying in a given week,” says Deb.
Connecting to the night sky. Deb looks for ways to connect any teacher’s curriculum to the night sky, even English or performing arts lessons. “We can change our planetarium programming on an hourly, daily or weekly basis, depending upon the class,” she says. “I say to teachers, ‘Tell me what you’d like to see or what piece of literature you’re reading, and I’ll find a correlation with the night sky.’” Deb has done programming that highlights Shakespearean plays and even “The Jupiter Symphony” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
What’s that constellation? “So many people say, ‘Well, I look up at the night sky, and it’s really nice up there, but I have no idea what I’m looking at,’” says Deb. “It’s fun to have students who have gone through our programming come to me and say they were able to tell their family or friends what they were looking at. For our urban students whose night sky is obscured by light pollution, the planetarium is an important school resource. We’re creating a lifelong-learning experience for our students.”
Teaching others to teach. Deb recently added science coach and technology integrator to her job title after Pike received a National Science Foundation grant. The grant focuses on student achievement through professional development for the teachers. “I facilitate events during which teachers collaborate and network to improve their science content knowledge and become more comfortable with science inquiry in their classrooms,” she says. She also helps teachers implement software, create Web pages and incorporate distance learning into their lessons.
Recognized by the president. In recognition of her teaching, Deb was awarded the 2007 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, making her one of 99 nationwide recipients. She received a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation and a trip to Washington D.C., for a week of celebratory events and professional development activities. “My career in science and science teaching began at Bluffton,” says Deb. “This award is a validation of the solid foundation I received in my classes while a student.”
— Jill A. Duling
