It’s long been known, by those of us who work with the Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program, that only the most dedicated, enthusiastic teachers become TIC teachers.  We’ve also known for a long time that TIC is a great learning experience for students—it connects them to their local watershed and provides a context for cross-disciplinary, real-life learning opportunities.    

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that of the EPA’s recently-announced 11 winners of the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Education, TWO of them are TIC teachers.

Congratulations to these teachers!   Lindsey Hoffman-Truxel is an elementary teacher in McCall, Idaho, who weaves TIC into her broader interdisciplinary, environmental curriculum.   She recently wrote a lesson plan for fourth graders about the nitrogen cycle which will soon be posted in TU's Online Lesson Plan Library.  And Carolyn Ruos Thomas says that she "accidentally fell in love" with brook trout in 2010.  Since, she has made them a cornerstone of her classroom lessons, and she was recently featured in Trout magazine for her innovative lessons.

Thank you to the EPA for recognizing these outstanding Trout in the Classroom teachers!

*

As a side note, last year FOUR of the 18 award winners were also TU TIC teachers:

Patricia Lockhart, at PS 57 in Staten Island, NY, has been a longtime TIC teacher in the New York City program run by TU staff person Lilli Genovesi. 

Rebecca Sanders, at Crellin Elementary in Oakland, MD, works closely with members of the Youghiogheny Chapter of TU. 

Deirdre Bingaman, at Donnelly Elementary in Donnelly, ID, is part of a statewide TIC program and started a number of years ago with support from the Ted Trueblood Chapter of TU. 

The Gary Borger Chapter of TU delivered TIC equipment to Howard Hill, at Highland Park High School in Highland Park, IL, for this school year. 

For each of these teachers, TIC is just one piece—an important piece—of the integrated, comprehensive environmental learning experience that they craft for their students.

Do you know a Trout in the Classroom or Salmon in the Classroom teacher who should win this award?