Christopher Brunelle, MAT `18
College of Education alumnus and former USF Noyce Scholar Christopher Brunelle, MAT `18, received the Cox Educator Hero Award, an award presented to teachers who demonstrate dedication to the teaching profession and go above and beyond for their students.
鈥淚 am incredibly surprised and very humbled,鈥� Brunelle said. 鈥淭his is only my third-year teaching in the United States, so I鈥檓 honored that so many people thought that I was such a significant voice in education and that I deserved this recognition.鈥�
Open to K-12 educators in the Virginia and Currituck County, North Carolina area, Brunelle and nine other educators were selected from a pool of 250 teachers who were nominated for the award.
Since arriving at Virginia Beach City Public Schools last year, Brunelle says he overcame many challenges while teaching biology completely online. Condensing his lessons, creating interactive presentations and providing his students with assignment choices are just a few of the ways he has kept his classes engaging.
鈥淚nstead of saying, 鈥楬ere鈥檚 what you need to do (for this assignment),鈥� I say, 鈥楬ere are five options, you pick whichever one appeals to you the most,鈥欌�� Brunelle said. 鈥淚 think that gives a lot of students agency because very often, especially with science, it鈥檚 like, 鈥楧o this my way and that鈥檚 the only way you could pass my class.鈥欌��
In celebration of the recipients, award sponsor Cox Communications will provide a $1,000 classroom makeover to each teacher鈥攁 generous donation that Brunelle plans to use when he starts teaching oceanography in the new school year.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to set up at least four saltwater aquariums and use them for student-collaborative projects,鈥� Brunelle said. 鈥淪o, I鈥檇 like to work with this association called Pearl Schools to get the equipment necessary to start raising oysters and also local Chesapeake Bay species of fish like spot, menhaden, blue crabs and potentially seagrass or sponges.鈥�
One of the saltwater aquariums Brunelle placed in his classroom at Middleton High School in Tampa, Fla.
Brunelle said he used this hands-on activity while teaching at Middleton High School, a Title 1 school in Tampa. He placed saltwater aquariums in his classroom and students learned about how they can care for the planet, similarly to how they took care of the animals in each tank.
When reflecting on his time as a graduate student in USF鈥檚 Science Education Program, Brunelle mentioned Distinguished University Professor Dana Zeidler, PhD, and Allan Feldman, PhD 鈥� 鈥渢wo powerhouses鈥� that influenced him to become the educator he is today. Thanks to the guidance he received from his USF professors, Brunelle says he鈥檚 made a difference in more ways than one.
鈥淚t was just outstanding education, and the vast majority of my professors are experts,鈥� Brunelle said. 鈥淥verall, they really prepared me for the responsibility of what I was going to be doing. I don鈥檛 think I necessarily realized the impact I could have as an educator going in, but I definitely left knowing I had the tools.鈥�
Getting children excited to learn about science is important, Brunelle said, but for him, teaching students to be conscious of their actions towards the environment is far more significant.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been very much about environmental impact and making sure that students understand that we have a place in this planet,鈥� Brunelle said. 鈥�(During this project,) one of my favorite quotes came from a student in Middleton who said, 鈥榶ou make me care about the earth, and I never cared about it before.鈥欌��