Jeffrey Crapper, a 2000 Linfield College graduate, was named Outstanding High School Classroom Teacher by the Oregon Science Teachers Association during an awards ceremony Nov. 10.
He was honored for his work motivating student achievement and excitement in science. Crapper teaches biology, health and career technical education at Beaverton Health and Science School, a Beaverton School District Options school for grades 6 through 12.
“The most rewarding part of being a teacher is seeing the lives of my students changed,” said Crapper, who comes by his love of teaching naturally. His father, mother and wife are all teachers, too.
The state science teachers’ association gave Crapper the award in part for his compassion and interest in his students. He creates courses that count for college credit to encourage students to consider higher education, for example, and develops and models strategies for supporting language learners in science.
“One of my goals each year is to connect with my students and develop a strong rapport with each of them,” said Crapper, who writes personalized notes of encouragement to each student and takes time to learn about their lives and their educational plans after high school. “As a result, I explicitly make connections between the concepts that I teach and my students’ post-high school education plans.”
Crapper teaches high school juniors and seniors using an interactive STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program called Project Lead The Way. He is the only teacher in Oregon leading the biomedical innovations class.
“My students have the opportunity to learn and complete advanced exercise science and biochemistry research, and they are thriving in this hands-on, kinesthetic approach to learning,” he said.
Linfield, which prides itself on giving students opportunities to do hands-on research, has certainly influenced how Crapper approaches his subject matter. He said his teaching has been shaped by professors including George Oja, Dawn Graff-Haight and Garry Killgore.
“My students complete authentic exercise science research, similar to my Applied Exercise Physiology course,” Crapper said. “They use epidemiology data to develop a public health initiative, research funding opportunities and write an actual grant application to fund their program. Several of my former students earned actual patents last year for their projects in their engineering course.”
