Receiving this award means someone believes in the potential of our children as I do and values what I have believed since I was inspired years ago. Learning science is for every curious mind that ever wondered "Why?" This award supports my belief that all students can be challenged and engaged in their learning process by their teachers. This level of recognition validates my vision of children actively engaged in schools and inspired to pursue careers in science, mathematics, and technology.

Jane Callery East Hartford, CT | K-6, Science, 2008

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Jane Callery has taught science at the Capital Region Education Council (CREC) Two Rivers Magnet Middle School since 2002. In the seven years prior, she taught middle school science; served as science and technology specialist for kindergarten through eighth grade; and taught science, mathematics, and language arts at various schools in the Newington Public Schools system. She taught sixth grade science, which integrates earth, life, and physical sciences, at CREC Two Rivers and is currently the Science Curriculum and Instruction Specialist for all 12 CREC magnet schools PK-12. Mrs. Callery also serves as the science curriculum facilitator for the school and is responsible for developing and implementing the science curriculum. In addition, she lends her expertise and instructional repertoire to districtwide science curriculum efforts. Mrs. Callery employs best practices and formative assessments to drive daily classroom instruction. She led school efforts to improve the quality of inquiry-based science instruction. She designed units that help students understand essential science concepts. These units have increased student achievement and boosted student engagement with learning tasks. Mrs. Callery inspires her students to be scientists by teaching them to generate hypotheses and test their ideas using the same methods that scientists employ. She holds her students accountable for establishing and defending their conclusions, and in this way, she is able to evaluate their understanding of science. In the magnet school's first year, Mrs. Callery encouraged colleagues, parents, students, and businesses to work together to sponsor a "Super Saturday" for mathematics and science, during which students led visitors in science discovery experiences. She also serves on the Science Advisory Committee for the Connecticut Mastery Test Program and is a past board member of the Connecticut Science Teachers Association. Mrs. Callery has a B.S. in elementary education, an M.S. in general science, and a C.A.S. in administration and supervision from Central Connecticut State University. She also has a C.A.S. as a secondary science specialist from Southern Connecticut State University. She has a Connecticut Teacher's Certification in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade and is certified in intermediary administration or supervision. She is a member of the Connecticut Alpha Delta Kappa society.

Know a great teacher like Jane Callery?