Diana O'Neal, Sulphur Springs Elementary School's CTE and STEM lab teacher, has been named the Science Educator of the Year for Grades 5-8 by the Tennessee Science Teachers Association. Days after Helene devastated the region, one local educator received some good news: she had been selected as the Science Educator of the Year for Grades 5-8. “Even though I was honored.
..I did not say anything about it, because I just thought, this is not the time, really,” said Diana O’Neal, Sulphur Springs Elementary School’s CTE and STEM lab teacher.
“There was so much, so many other things going on that it just didn't seem right.” O’Neal finally received recognition for her accolade at the Tennessee Science Teachers Association fall conference on Oct. 17.
The honor recognizes her commitment to her students at Sulphur Springs, her passion for increasing access to STEM programming, as well as her general enthusiasm and love for her profession that is so evident. Although the award went to O’Neal, she said that she wished her colleagues and superiors at Sulphur Springs, community partners and district leaders could be recognized with her. “It's quite an honor, but it is embarrassing just because, as I tell people, you don’t get anything like this on your own,” O’Neal said.
“It's only because the people in this building and the places I've worked have always been really supportive and willing to try some new things...
It was a nice honor, but I didn't do it without a .