Clinton teacher Ron Schaffner named Michigan High School Science Teacher of the Year

CLINTON — The awards keep coming for Clinton High School science teacher Ron Schaffner.

Just last year he was recognized as the Region 2 MiSTEM Educator of the Year and now he has been named Michigan High School Science Teacher of the Year by the Michigan Science Teachers Association.

Due to the pandemic, the MiSTEM — Mi stands for Michigan, and STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math — banquet was not held last year. Coincidentally, the banquets for both awards will be held back to back. The MiSTEM banquet will be Thursday, March 3, in Ann Arbor at the Kensington Hotel, and the MSTA conference will be Friday, March 4, at the Lansing Convention Center.

The winning MSTA elementary, middle school, high school and college science teachers of the year were peer-nominated and then judged by a committee, which used a rubric scoring process. They were chosen for modeling best practices, inspiring their students, demonstrating innovative teaching strategies, being excellent role models for students and other teachers, demonstrating leadership, exhibiting a passion for science education, and teaching for a minimum of five years, according to a news release from the MSTA.

“This year’s award winners are true role models for the education profession,” MSTA President Holly McGoran said in the release. “Not only are they striving to inspire students during a global pandemic, they are taking on leadership roles within the educational community by presenting at conferences and publishing science related articles in professional journals. MSTA is honored to provide this well-deserved recognition.”

Schaffner creates the hands-on, minds-on atmosphere in which kids can blossom, Clinton Community Schools Superintendent Jim Cracraft said.

Schaffner is a veteran teacher with a "wonderful rapport" with students who, with his colleagues, developed the Clinton's STEM program, Clinton Community Schools Superintendent Jim Cracraft said. He also creates "a hands-on and minds-on classroom."

“He also builds interest in STEM careers through science-related competitions including the bridge building competition, the SeaPerch competition and the Michigan Design Council competitions,” Cracraft said. “That’s all Ron. I mean, Ron really pushes that and so those opportunities for our kids to compete academically really create opportunities for our students and builds their interest in possible STEM careers in the future.”

Schaffner developed Clinton’s first STEM class six years ago with two students. That grew into the STEAM Center — the “A” stands for arts — that now provides an indoor laboratory with a portable pool facility for the district’s SeaPerch Underwater Robotics Competition Team, which he also launched. Schaffner’s students also participate in an innovative vehicle design competition.

For his part, Schaffner, who has spent his entire 28-year career with Clinton Community Schools, credits others and said he considers the recognition a districtwide award.

“It’s very humbling. I think it’s overwhelming because you recognize all the different people that play a role in what goes on in a school and my classroom with support from the school board in setting the culture, the administration in setting the culture, to support services, students, parents, other teachers within the department; all that goes into providing for kids an atmosphere where they can be challenged and have opportunities,” Schaffner said. “I can look at a lot of things that I do in my classroom that did not originate with me, ideas from other teachers and administrators who give a gentle nudge, you know, ‘Why don’t you try this? Why don’t you try this in class?’ And I can easily pass on a lot of the credit to people within our district. So I view it as a district award as just opposed to a single teacher award.”

So what is Schaffner’s favorite thing about being a teacher?

“Honestly, I get to work with kids every day. You get to give kids opportunities and experiences that you know that they can build on for the rest of their lives. They may not recognize it now. And not every kid that walks through your class is going to be inspired for life, but it’s something where you get to give kids opportunities to try things, to build disciplines, to have experiences and, honestly, within the classroom to have that creativity in a variety of different ways,” Schaffner said. “Every day is new. I have kids sometimes three or four times a day and every class is different. It’s just something where you get a chance to work with kids, you get a chance to make a difference and it’s just very rewarding.”

The kids pop in once in a while to let him know that he did make that difference as well.

“I try to encourage them to let me know how they’re doing, how their preparation was. I want to make sure they’re going in a direction that one of my classes points them towards, that they have the opportunity to have interest in it, and also to be able to have the disciplines, the content and the knowledge base that is going to allow them to not just dream about it, but actually be successful in it going forward,” Schaffner said. “So I do have the opportunity once in a while to hear from kids and to hear how they’re doing, to hear about their successes and know that, you know, maybe you helped a little in setting that foundation for them.”

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Clinton High School STEM teacher Ron Schaffner Teacher of the Year