Anne Zielske

Saint Paul, MN | 7-12, Science, 2021

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

Scientists model world-wide collaboration, reviewing and revising ideas, and testing with an aim toward objectivity. I believe this is needed to solve the global problems we are currently facing.

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

It was transformative to work with a team that supported my ideas and allowed my to bring my whole self to my teaching. Although I teach science, I can incorporate my love for music, for example. Doing this has helped some of my students believe for the first time that they might be able to be a scientist even if they don't fit the usual stereotype.

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

I'm not sure yet but am looking for where I feel called.

Biography

Anne Zielske has been an educator since 1991. She has worked at Harding Senior High School for 13 years, where she teaches 9th-12th grade Chemistry and Integrated Earth and Space Science. Previously, she taught at Columbia Heights High School for 10 years, South Saint Paul High School for 10 years, and Oliver McCracken Middle School for four years. Anne’s passion is making abstract science concepts accessible to all, especially English learners and those for whom a traditional educational setting is unfamiliar. She sees her students’ varied backgrounds, experiences, and interests as assets and strongly believes in the use of manipulative materials and constructivist activities to build content language, skills, and self-efficacy. In distance learning, using an Ecolab grant, she led the assembly of 240 materials kits, personally delivering over 130 to students' homes. Walking by Anne's classroom, one will see learners collaborating to create and explain models; internalizing vocabulary through movement, call and response; or laughing as their teacher performs original chemistry songs. Named Harding's Teacher Of The Year in 2020, Anne has been department chair, mentors new teachers and regularly facilitates in-house professional development. Anne has written extensive chemistry curricula for her district and developed a bioplastics engineering unit with support of the University of Minnesota and ATP-Bio, an NSF Engineering Research Center. Anne earned a B.A., cum laude, in biology from North Park University and an M.A. in education from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. She is certified to teach chemistry and life science.

High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

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