Rita Schell Homewood, AL | K-6, Science, 2012

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Rita Schell has been an educator for 13 years, teaching for 12 years at Hall-Kent Elementary School in the Homewood City School District. She began her career as a third grade teacher.  She has spent the past 8 years as a Learning Enhancement and Academic Design (LEAD) teacher.   LEAD, a program unique to Homewood City Schools, provides science and mathematics enrichment in a laboratory setting for kindergarten through fifth grade classes. Collaborating with grade-level teachers, Rita plans hands-on, inquiry-based experiences designed to complement classroom lessons and extend learning, spanning the range of student learning styles and proficiencies.  A teacher leader in her district, Rita has trained teachers on topics such as incorporating inquiry-based science curriculum into existing science instruction and using engineering practices in the elementary classroom. In addition, Rita serves as an Instructional Coach and mentors new teachers. Rita was named Outstanding Elementary Science Teacher by the Alabama Science Teachers Association in 2010. She has been awarded more than $30,000 in grant funds through her efforts to enhance science instruction and ensure that her students have access to the most innovative materials, such as engineering and robotics curriculum.  Rita has a B.S. in elementary and middle school education from The University of West Alabama.

• High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

Know a great teacher like Rita Schell? Nominate them for PAEMST!