Chamberlain's Valerie Nelson lauded for elementary science, math teaching

Apr. 4—CHAMBERLAIN, S.D. — Students entering kindergarten are often just getting a grip on naming their colors and learning to read.

But for the last 15 years, students in Valerie Nelson's kindergarten class at Chamberlain Elementary School have gotten a chance to go beyond those basic skills. There, they learn the basics of higher concepts like "shapes in the real world" and "butterfly metamorphosis," paving the way for them to embrace learning science and math as they progress through their educational careers.

Those types of lessons are what led to Nelson recently being named one of three state-level finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

"I talked to my superintendent, and he said if I had the time, I should do it," Nelson told the Mitchell Republic about the award application process. "I don't know if I have the time, but I can sure make the time."

Nelson was named a state finalist earlier this month. She is now part of a pool of candidates for the National Presidential Award. A national committee reporting to the National Science Foundation will make its selection from the state-level finalists submitted by each state, naming a top recipient sometime in June.

Nelson will also be honored along with the other state finalists at the South Dakota STEM Education Conference in Huron next year.

The Ispwich native and former Regional Teacher of the Year for the state of South Dakota has long held an interest in education. Growing up in elementary school, her best friend's mother, Kathy Bauer, taught her in second grade, and after school she and her friend would "play school" in Bauer's classroom, giving lessons to an imaginary group of students.

She attended Northern State University for education, also taking time to run track and field for the Wolves. She student taught at a number of different elementary school levels, but a chance to teach kindergarten in Chamberlain prior to graduation brought her to the community on the Missouri River, where she has spent the last 15 years teaching the district's youngest students.

Originally setting her sights on teaching fourth grade, she soon found herself right at home in a kindergarten classroom.

"I wanted to teach fourth grade, and I had (student taught) in first grade and sixth grade, and when I took the kindergarten job in Chamberlain, as soon as there was a fourth grade opening, I was going to transfer," Nelson said. "I could have transferred about 15 different times, but my heart is here. Not because it's easy or because I don't like change, it's just because I truly appreciate the rawness of the kids that come in and their growth. They are amazing."

Along with developing skills like identifying colors or improving their reading skills, Nelson takes time to integrate science and math skills into the daily routine. As part of her application process for the recent award, she had to produce a 30 minute recording of herself teaching concepts in the classroom.

Her recording showed her elaborating on 3D and 2D shapes and identifying them in the real world.

"We had already studied 2D shapes and we had introduced 3D shapes, and the lesson was on finding the differences between two shapes and identifying shapes. We went around the classroom and found different shapes," Nelsons said.

While a seemingly simple exercise, it exposed students to the importance of shapes and how everything has one — from the box that comes from Amazon to letters and numbers they also studied on a daily basis. That led to discussions that looked forward to engineering concepts. They discussed cylinders having two flat circle surfaces and that objects could be supported by the three-dimensional structure.

Another lesson involved collecting caterpillars to watch them form a cocoon and change eventually into a butterfly.

"Different things like that help them grow and learn harder and more advanced skills," Nelson said. "They are really interested in problem-solving and how things work, and I think it's great to give kids a well-rounded education. Not just in reading and writing, but also with math and science."

The students have embraced such activities, and Nelson, after a decade and a half of teaching, has seen her young students grow into upperclassmen, many of whom have come back to work with her on their own future career paths.

"The great part is that the last couple of years I've had former students come into work study because they want to become educators. That's the best part. It really warms my heart," Nelson said.

Justin Zajic, superintendent for the Chamberlain School District, said Nelson was a valuable asset to the school and noted that she had already distinguished herself with the Regional Teacher of the Year Award.

But what stood out to him about this particular honor was that Nelson is a kindergarten teacher receiving an award in math and science teaching, an recognition that is more commonly associated with teachers in more advanced classrooms.

"What's really interesting about this is it is a science and math organization that is saying this kindergarten teacher goes far above and beyond to teach our content at such a young age and that we want to make sure she's recognized. That to me says everything," Zajic said. "In Nelson's class, she just rolls the content into daily activities. It's the everyday integration of science and math standards that she does that has students engaged in the content and really fosters that lifelong learning mentality."

Excerpts from the letters of recommendation that accompanied her application for the award praised her approach, saying her methods had students exploring, testing, observing and making connections that spark their curiosity.

Allen Hogie, the mathematics teacher at Brandon Valley High School who nominated Nelson for the recognition and also serves as the South Dakota PAEMST mathematics coordinator, echoed those sentiments.

"Valerie's passion for teaching and high expectations of her students has, no doubt, made a difference in their lives," Hogie said in a statement. "The Chamberlain School District is very fortunate to have such an excellent teacher on staff."

Nelson may have had plans to shift to an older elementary classroom when she first arrived in Chamberlain, but that is no longer the case. Her young students come into the classroom on the first day of school as sponges ready to absorb lessons, and she delights in seeing them grow and mature as they begin to find their way in the world.

She is pursuing a masters degree in leadership and administration from Northern State, but for now her sights are set firmly on welcoming the next batch of young learners to kindergarten. Her clever science and math lessons will surely be a part of that, she said.

Once a second grader who enjoyed the classroom so much she pretended to be a teacher after school with her best friend, Nelson is now that influential teacher for real. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

"It's so rewarding. I would have it any other way. It's a very, very, very rewarding career," Nelson said. "I definitely don't see myself getting out of kindergarten. It's just kind of home."