Joan Ebel

Columbus, NE | 7-12, Mathematics, 2021

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

STEM classes play a vital role in everyone's life—both in the classroom, where students build foundational skills in mathematics and other STEM subjects, and beyond, where they apply what they have learned to solve real-world problems and navigate daily life. My passion for teaching mathematics—especially at the middle school level—has driven me to create innovative, hands-on activities that engage students in exploring, applying, and showcasing their knowledge.

What has been the most transformative moment that affirmed your impact on STEM education?

One of the most transformative moments has been seeing students persevere through challenges, struggle with a concept, and then experience the joy of finally and fully understanding. Watching them apply what they have learned in meaningful ways to mathematics and other classes affirms the impact of my teaching. Even more powerful are the messages from former students who thank me for pushing them to think critically; for not giving up on them, nor giving them the answers, but instead guiding them by questioning their strategies and steps so they could find the solution(s) themselves. This lasting impact is the most rewarding part of teaching STEM.

Using your platform as a Presidential Awardee, how do you hope to advance our nation in STEM?

As a Presidential Awardee, I hope to advocate for high-quality STEM education by highlighting how STEM builds essential life skills for any career path—whether in the professional sector or the workforce. STEM education fosters critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, and real-world application. I aim to inspire educators and students by sharing best practices that promote hands-on, comprehensive learning and prepare all students to thrive in a STEM-driven world.

Biography

Joan "Joni" Ebel has been an educator for 25 years and has spent her entire career as a mathematics teacher at Columbus Middle School. For the past 15 years, she has taught seventh-grade general mathematics and prealgebra courses. Earlier in her career, she taught eighth-grade algebra as well as sixth-grade accelerated and general mathematics courses. Joni’s love of mathematics and middle school teaching has led her to develop innovative, hands-on educational activities that further engage students in their mathematical journey, such as stop-motion videos, scavenger hunts, and using a number cube and protractor to create artwork demonstrating their understanding of angle relationships. Outside the classroom, Joni has served the state of Nebraska on various committees focused on writing and editing the mathematics standards and developing college and career readiness standards. She has served her district, state, and nation as a team leader, professional leadership committee chairperson, District Mentor Teacher, and Mentor Teacher for the National Network of State Teachers of the Year. She also serves as a technology coach, supports the L to J system of continuous improvement, and is a contributing author for “7th Grade Ready”. Joni is the recipient of numerous awards, including multiple Teacher of the Quarter honors, Runner-Up for Teacher of the Year for her school district, Outstanding Teacher of the Year from the Nebraska Middle Level Academy, and the Nebraska Award of Excellence. Joni holds a B.S.Ed. in secondary and middle-level education from Concordia University and an M.Ed. in educational leadership from Doane College. She is certified in mathematics, music, and language arts education.

High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

The views expressed in awardee profiles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF or the PAEMST program.