MHS teacher receives award

MEEKER I There are teachers who love their subjects and there are teachers who love their students. Bev Devore-Wedding, math and science teacher at Meeker High School, is one of those rare educators with a passion for both. With nearly a quarter century of classroom experience behind her, the Colorado Association of Science Teachers decided Devore-Wedding’s dedication and diligence was worthy of an award, honoring her with their annual award for excellence in science teaching this year.
To be eligible for the award, nominees must be members in good standing with CAST and be currently teaching science classes in a Colorado school. Devore-Wedding was nominated for the award by a colleague with whom she has presented workshops, served on the CAST board and attended science classes. Meeker resident Patti Merrifield added a letter of support, and Devore-Wedding supplied additional resume information to the judges.
Her own educational background is extensive. She holds bachelor’s degrees in botany and secondary science education, and a master’s degree in botany from the University of Wyoming-Laramie, and a master’s degree in secondary science from Montana State University-Bozeman. Her teaching career began at Grand Junction High School in 1986. In 1988, she began teaching in Meeker, “primarily as math teacher with some chemistry.”
During the past 24 years, she has, at various times, taught “all the science classes at the high school except physics and all the math classes except calculus.” This year she’s teaching chemistry, college algebra and trigonometry, business math, career math, introductory and intermediate algebra. If that isn’t a full enough schedule, she also teaches for Colorado Northwestern Community College during the school year with concurrent classes as well as during the summer months.
Devore-Wedding enjoys the process of learning, both personally and in the lives of her students.
“Every class period is almost my favorite part of teaching. I love when former students return and tell me about their lives and how science/math have become important to their learning/lives. I love hearing of their successes. I also like when students currently in my classroom experience that ‘a-ha’ moment, when a connection is formed, a concept is realized, an application of their knowledge makes sense.”
“Meeker School District is very proud of Ms. Beverly DeVore-Wedding’s accomplishments and are proud to have her represent the district in her work promoting science education,” said Meeker School District Superintendent Susan Goettel.
Dr. Bob Dorsett, her colleague at MHS, said, “Bev spends lots of extra hours, evenings and weekends, preparing hands-on experiments for her students. She is a master at engaging students in those learning activities. She, herself, continues to explore new discoveries in science through post-graduate university courses and she is a leader in professional organizations fostering science education.”
For Devore-Wedding, that kind of praise from her peers makes the CAST award especially meaningful on a personal level.
“I am honored to be recognized by my peers across the state; I also feel like I have to continue teaching at a level worthy of this award.”
She will travel to Denver tonight to attend the Colorado Science Conference and receive the $500  award at a reception on Friday afternoon. Afterward, she’ll return to Meeker and continue to apply herself to teaching the students in her classroom, day after day.
“My students are my legacy, since I have no biological children of my own,” she said. “How they live their lives reflects what they have learned and I have been a part of that.”
For Devore-Wedding, teaching is more than a job, it’s a calling. Imparting knowledge, adapting to changes in technology and sharing her love for science keeps her in the classroom.
“Most likely I will be a terminal classroom teacher since that is where the joy and challenges of teaching happen daily. With the technologies of today, teaching isn’t harder or easier, just different and provides students and teachers with so many more resources to connect to the world through their learning. That is cool! I truly believe you can anchor all content onto a core of science. Science is definitely cool too!”