NABT is proud to recognize exceptional teachers, and supports a variety of awards for those
individuals who demonstrate innovative approaches to teaching biology and life science topics. Help us honor teachers in 2011 by nominating yourself or a colleague for an NABT award. The online nomination form is available at 2011 Award Nominations.
Once a nomination is received, complete application instructions will be provided to the nominee. All applications must be received before March 15, 2011 to be considered (the Oklahoma OBTA award has a later due date). Please visit NABT Awards to learn more about the opportunities for teachers at all levels and career stages. Questions can be sent to awards2011@nabt.org.
One NABT award open to middle and high school life science teachers is the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) program which attempts to recognize an outstanding biology educator (grades 7-12) in each of the 50 states; Washington, DC; Canada; Puerto Rico; and overseas territories. Candidates for this award do not have to be NABT members, but they must have at least three years public, private, or parochial school teaching experience. A major portion of the nominee’s career must have been devoted to the teaching of biology/life science, and candidates are judged on their teaching ability and experience, cooperativeness in the school and community, inventiveness, initiative, and student-teacher relationships. OBTA recipients are honored at a special event during the NABT Professional Development Conference sponsored by Pearson Prentice Hall; microscopes from Leica Microsystems, Inc.; and certificates and a complimentary one-year membership from NABT.
Tamara Lookabaugh, Moore High School Biology teacher, is the recipient of the 2010 Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) for Oklahoma. The OBTA is given each year by the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) to a life science teacher in each state who demonstrates exemplary practice in the teaching of life science. Tamara has been a teacher in Moore since 1986 having both high school and junior high teaching experience. She presently teaches Zoology, AP Biology, and pre-AP Chemistry and holds a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Oklahoma Baptist University. To quote Tamara’s application essay; “Teaching the biological sciences is my real passion because I believe it crucial for people to understand their own niche in the world and appreciate the amazing diversity of living things.”
Ms. Lookabaugh is a member of NSTA, OSTA, OKAEE, NEA OEA and NABT and serves on the OSTA Board of Directors as Secretary/Historian. She is extremely versatile and seeks out programs and institutes both as a participant and as a presenter to expand her science knowledge and share her expertise with others. Over the years she has received many awards and grants reflecting her deep commitment to teaching. As she stated in her application essay, “Many years have passed since I began teaching in 1986. I am still as excited, perhaps more so, about exploring the scientific discovers and new techniques which are rapidly emerging in out ever-changing world.”
Tamara Lookabaughs enthusiasm and dedication to teaching biology is further demonstrated in the following quote: “Because active hands-on science is essential to a student’s ability to retain information and apply it to a larger world-view, I actively strive to incorporate as many teaching techniques as possible and meet the variety of learning styles in my classroom.” She further states: “As a biology teacher, I have a chance to impact the lives of approximately one hundred and thirty students (each year) who are looking to me in anticipation of something significant that will give meaning to them being in my class. I try to meet those student expectations and do my best to provide a meaningful and thoughtful atmosphere for my students to discover themselves and the world around them.”
Candidates for the OBTA can be nominated for the award by colleagues, administrators, students, teacher/candidates themselves, or anyone competent to judge the candidate’s teaching effectiveness.
To participate or nominate someone for the OBTA, fill out the forms found at this website: http://obtaoklahoma.wikispaces.com/Forms. The deadline for completed applications is May 31, 2011. You can also send the name and contact information of your nominee in an e-mail to Kay Gamble, the Oklahoma OBTA Director.
Nomination Deadline: February 15, 2011
Applications must be mailed to Kay Gamble by May 31, 2011