Putnam City High School Biology Teacher Diana DeSpain has been named Oklahoma’s Outstanding Biology Teacher for 2004.

"Diana is passionate about working with students. She’s energetic in helping students explore and discuss ideas. When students are in groups, she’s on the move to monitor progress and answer questions. She builds great relationships with students and uses her knowledge and experience to make every outcome positive. It’s a privilege to work with her," says Marie Howard, Putnam City High School assistant principal.

Criteria for the Outstanding Biology Teacher award include teaching ability, experience, inventiveness, initiative, inherent teaching strengths and cooperativeness in the school and community.

DeSpain is known for having students use hands-on exploration to understand new material and concepts. For example, DeSpain’s physiology students are asked to construct a working model of the digestive system from used materials, household goods and trash.

"It’s amazing to see the students research the organs, develop ideas and test their way to a model that physically replicates digestion by breaking down an entire meal. The challenges they overcome and the inventiveness of their designs truly come from them behaving like scientists," DeSpain says.

DeSpain, who has been teaching science at Putnam City High School for four years, took part in the 2003 Summer Biology Institute offered by the prestigious Woodrow Wilson Foundation Leadership Program for Teachers. During the 2004-2005 school year, she will serve as an American Physiological Society Mentor Teacher, a role in which she will encourage and inform younger teachers. (See http://www.the-aps.org/education/2004rts/mentors.htm) She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in school administration from the University of Central Oklahoma.

The award, given by the Oklahoma Biology Teachers Association, the National Biology Teachers Association (NBTA) and Prentice Hall, will be presented to DeSpain at the NABT conference in November.

"Diana’s accomplishments are a source of pride not just for Putnam City High School, but for our entire district. She’s an outstanding teacher and an important member of our educational community," says Dr. Jim Capps, superintendent of schools.