Teacher of the Year Sandy Wheeler ~ Boothbay Region Elementary School

Sandy Wheeler, a teacher at Boothbay Regional Elementary School was selected as the 2008 Conservation Teacher of the Year for Lincoln County. Sandy, who teaches 7th grade science was recognized for her innovative incorporation of natural resource conservation into her curriculum.

Sandy began teaching at Boothbay Regional Elementary School in 2001 and has been instrumental in the development and implementation of a unique educational program designed to teach students about conservation education. Her passion for teaching fosters a sense of respect and friendship with her students as she facilitates hands on learning experiences that encourage students to expand their knowledge and explore the environment around them.

EcoBeaker Maine Explorer allows students to conduct simulated experiments involving various conservation topics including species interactions, invasive species, nutrient flow and food webs. This unique program, currently available to all 7th and 8th grade teachers, encourages understanding of the interdependent relationship between how certain species interact within their environment by allowing individual students to chart their own investigations using specific criteria. One part of this curriculum "Keystone Predator" teaches a student how certain keystone species can be especially important, because when they disappear, the entire community collapses. "Runaway Runoff" highlights the connection between phosphorus level, algae growth rate, decomposition rate and oxygen depletion in an ecosystem. Sandy has committed 2 weeks, for the last 3 summers, working with 22 middle school teachers, Audubon teachers, and computer programmers to design engaging curriculum that explores ecological concepts with the framework of Systems and Models. These programs and related curriculum are now available on every MLTI computer and training sessions for all 7th and 8th grade teachers are available through MLTI. Sandy has spent several years developing a unit she titles "Water Ways." The unit now includes her work with the EcoBeaker unit and Runaway Runoff. Her interest in this area started several years ago when she worked with a DEP AmeriCorps volunteer on a project called Plant A Buffer. This project involved the use of a Watershed Table to model runoff and working with Boothbay Water District for 2 years to plant a buffer of trees around the Adams Pond Watershed.

In March, 2008, students participated in a "Green School Activity" through the Maine Energy Education Program (MEEP) called the "Vending Miser Challenge." Vending Misers contain a sensor that cuts back the amount of energy used by cold beverage machines. The challenge involved a hands-on experiment in which students used date to prove the device does in pact save energy. They gathered information, compared date for the electricity and fuel use from 2007 and compared it to 2008 and created graphs to depict the outcome. Based on their findings that shows great savings on fuel and lower electricity usage for most of the months compared, MEEP donated a Vending Miser sensor tot he school in recognition and appreciation for a job well done.

Sandy also incorporates natural resource preservation and education into her student's lives by actively involving her students inside the classroom and also with community projects.