Education Technology
Sign Up for TI Emails

Meet TI Teacher of the Month: Stacy Thibodeaux

Posted 04/08/2019 by Kim Gonzales

Meet TI Teacher of the Month: Stacy Thibodeaux

We’re celebrating teachers, like you, who make a difference in the classroom. This month, join us in getting to know Stacy Thibodeaux, a biology teacher from Youngsville, Louisiana, who strives to instill a love of learning in her students.

Fast facts about Stacy:

  • TEACHES WHAT: Chemistry
  • TEACHES WHERE: Southside High School in Youngsville, Louisiana
  • TEACHING FOR HOW LONG: 18 years

 

Stacy in her own words:

Why did you become a teacher?
In college, I was a pre-med major who wanted to be a doctor. My anatomy and physiology teacher suggested that I help tutor and eventually told me she thought I should be a teacher. At the time, I didn’t think I wanted to. But, when recruiters came to the university looking to fill a teaching position, I thought, “Why don’t I try this?” So I got hired and have stayed since. It was hard the first year. However, once I started getting more excited about what I was teaching, I recognized my passion and love of learning.


"Even though concepts are hard, having a relationship with students helps them feel comfortable talking to me about what they are finding difficult"

Stacy Thibodeaux, TI Teacher of the Month

What advice would you give to your first-year teaching self?

First, believe in yourself more. Second, it is important to form relationships with your students early on in the school year. In the beginning of my teaching career, I took the advice of older teachers. They told me to be strict, never smile, and to wait to show students who you are in order to earn their respect. Since then, I've learned that it’s actually the opposite — students need to know that you care.

What do you love most about teaching?

I love the relationships that you build with your students and getting to see their love for learning science. It’s important to me to make sure that my students have cool experiences with labs, as it grows their love for the subject. Whether or not they decide to major in science, I ultimately want them to look back fondly and remember Ms. Thibodeaux’s science class.

What TI technology do you use in the classroom, and how do you use it?

I have TI-Nspire™ CX graphing calculators and TI-Nspire™ Navigator™ technology, as well as several different Vernier sensors in my classroom right now. I also have TI-Innovator™ Hubs , which are used in both my after-school STEM club and with our local GEAR UP chapter.

How do you help your students learn difficult concepts?

I really try to use all different mechanisms — for a problem, we may write it, speak it, see it and model it. If I know one student is struggling, then I group them with another student who isn’t struggling. Then, the three of us can work on a problem together instead of it being just me and one student. Even though concepts are hard, having a relationship with students helps them feel comfortable talking to me about what they are finding difficult.

If you could thank your teachers, what would you say?

My teachers pushed me to become the person I am today. I would desperately want them to know how much I appreciate them and am thankful for them. I want to be just like them, which is why I do what I do.

Tags:

Tagcloud

Math STEM coding TI-84 Plus CE classroom resources science Python activity graphing calculator TI-Nspire CX II STEM and coding TI Back To School calculus high school instructional practices TI-84 Plus CE graphing calculator computer science calculator

Archive

Syndication

© Copyright 1995-2024 Texas Instruments Incorporated. All rights reserved.

TrademarksSoftware Data PolicyPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyTerms of UseTerms of Sale & ServicesSupply Chain Transparency
About UsNews CenterContact TI