Parkway West Middle School Science Teacher Mixes Laughter With Learning

Jody Eisele, a science teacher, has been honored as Parkway West Middle School’s Teacher of the Year. Eisele, who is in her third year at West Middle, said she can’t believe she was selected. 

“I am amazed and completely indebted to my colleagues. It’s an honor to be named with the other teachers selected for this award,” Eisele said.

As a child, Eisele was interested in the environment, landscapes, travel and camping. Her love of the outdoors led her to the field of science. She attended Southeast Missouri State and the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where she earned her bachelor’s degree. 

“I knew science was where I wanted to be,” Eisele said. “I worked as a day camp counselor and just clicked with middle school students. Then I chose education. I couldn’t have picked a better place. This is where I belong.” 

Eisele said she sets high expectations for her students and she feels students want to meet those standards. Her students are excited about science and Eisele strives to keep her lessons meaningful and interesting. Middle school students study earth and life sciences, ecosystems and environment, biology and chemistry. She saves chemistry as the final unit of study as a reward for the students’ work throughout the year. 

“My kids are very excited about chemistry. What they want to do is cause an explosion,” Eisele said, laughing. “If you make kids part of the learning process by incorporating activities that support what they know, they feel comfortable wondering.” She said she encourages wondering as a key to getting students to ask questions. “When they ask questions, we challenge what they know and then students can learn from it."

"One can often hear the giggles coming from her classroom and know Ms. Eisele mixes just the right amount of fun with academic rigor," Linda Lelonek, principal at West Middle said in an email. "She is a scientist yet still a mentor, a master teacher but always an advocate."

Eisele has been busy since her selection as Teacher of the Year at West Middle. She recently presented at the National Science Teacher Association Conference in San Francisco. Her presentation included information about student use of science notebooks, much like Leonardo DaVinci’s, for maintaining their work and ideas about the world of science. She is currently pursuing her master’s in education.

Recently engaged, Eisele is busy planning her wedding and caring for her “high-energy” dog, Tucker.