Solvay Teacher Bonnie Borowiec Named Master Teacher
Ms. Borowiec brings her passion for science with her to work each day, by showing her students how science is all around them. She currently teaches science at Solvay Middle School and has been with the Solvay Union Free School District for 17 years. Prior to her time at Solvay UFSD, she was an Environmental Scientist for 12 years at a local engineering firm.
This school year, Ms. Borowiec teaches eighth grade physical science and Regents Biology to advanced eighth grade students. When not in the classroom teaching, Ms. Borowiec spends the rest of her day as the Grade 5-12 Science Content Specialist, a role she was appointed to at the start of this school year.
Congratulations to Ms. Borowiec on receiving this great honor! Interested in learning more about Ms. Borowiec? Read below!
What is one of your favorite things about coming to work each day?
My favorite thing about coming to school each day is that I get a chance to show my students how science is involved in their everyday lives. I love the energy eighth graders can have, and enjoy watching them make meaning and connections throughout the science concepts we learn about.
What made you decide to apply for the honor of becoming part of the New York State Master Teacher Program?
I applied for the NYS Master Teacher Program twice actually. I was not accepted into the program the first time I applied. This was a milestone in my career that I really wanted to meet, so I applied again and was accepted the second time around.
I decided to apply for the Master Teacher Program because I wanted to see if all of the hard work that I have put into my teaching career met the high standards set by this program. The application process is rigorous and includes sending in transcripts, taking a content area exam, submitting references from administrators and a student I taught, writing an essay, teaching a lesson to other science teachers, participating in an interview, and responding to a timed writing prompt. I like to be challenged and this, to me, was one of the biggest challenges I have come across in my teaching career.
How did you react to receiving the exciting news that you were accepted into the program?
Since I was not accepted into the program after the first time, I tried not to get my hopes up for the second time around. When I received the e-mail that I was accepted into the program it was a huge relief. It was a very exhilarating, happy moment in my life. It was deeply satisfying that the hard work that I put into my application had paid dividends. I shared the news with a few of my close friends and my husband. I am not one to boast – I like to live a pretty simple, low-key lifestyle. My purpose for applying to this program was not to seek publicity or accolades from others. It was to achieve a personal, professional goal and I am very happy to have met it.
What are your plans for the upcoming school year with this award?
Now the hard work begins! Being a member of the Master Teacher program comes with great responsibilities. Participation in a minimum of 50 hours of professional development, attending monthly regional meetings or workshops, joining professional learning teams, sharing best practices with other science teachers, and participating in mentoring pre-service science teachers are some of the requirements of being a Master Teacher. I am looking forward to engaging in high-level content discussions with other Master Teachers and sharing best practices with them.
What are you most excited about bringing to the Solvay UFSD with this award?
I am most excited about delving deeper into the recently adopted New York State Science Learning Standards with other teachers to gain a greater understanding of the standards. The new standards involve a substantial shift in how science is taught to students at all grade levels. It will be an enormous undertaking to develop science curriculum that aligns with the NYSSLS, but I firmly believe that our students’ understanding of scientific concepts will be much deeper under these new standards.
