Exceptional Educator creates science lessons that mirror the real world

Renee Ganley, a science teacher at Buerkle Middle School, received the Exceptional Educator Award from the Affton-Lemay Chamber of Commerce. This award recognizes teachers from schools in the 63125 ZIP code for professional excellence in the classroom and their dedication to their students.

Ganley has 22 years of experience in education and has worked at Buerkle for the past

decade. She currently teaches seventh- and eighth-grade science in the Academy* program.

Image: Ganley assist two students with an assignment on their Chromebooks

“I love seeing students take charge and be project-oriented and be in charge of their own learning path,” Ganley said.

Students say that Ganley is an exceptional educator because she makes science lessons fun for her students.

“She makes concepts easy for us to understand,” said Elijah, a Buerkle student. “I like learning new lessons and doing interesting labs.”

In addition to the impact on her students, Ganley is a role model for other teachers at Buerkle Middle School.

“Ms. Ganley is adept at leveraging research-based instructional strategies to provide students with an engaging and rigorous project-based science curriculum that mirrors real-world applications,” said Jim Kern, Principal at Buerkle Middle School. “Her deep content knowledge, seamless integration of technology, and dedication to hands-on learning activities make her highly respected amongst her peers.”

Ganley was among 10 teachers from the area to receive the award at the chamber’s Annual Awards and Dinner Auction Gala.

*The Academy is a learning environment housed within each Mehlville School District middle school that presents students with blended learning opportunities, including project-based learning, inquiry-based learning and personalized learning opportunities. Students in the Academy are empowered to shape how they learn the curriculum throughout the school year. Learn more.