St. Ed's science teacher brings home another award

Yes, put another one on the board.

Peggy Deichstetter, biology and genetics teacher at St. Edward High School in Elgin, has received a Science Education Award from the National Science Teachers Association.

The award is doled out to three educators in the country each year who successfully demonstrate the use of inquiry-based science to enhance teaching and learning in their classroom.

The award comes less than a year after Deichstetter, a West Chicago resident, was named a finalist for the 2008 Genzyme-Invitrogen Biotech Educator award.

Chosen from more than 1,000 educators across the country, Deichstetter was the sole finalist from Illinois for that award.

In 2005, she earned the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

Deichstetter, who has taught at St. Edward since 1975, said she's "getting old enough to retire now, but if I'm having this good of a time, I'm not going anywhere."

In her early teaching days, she said, "we used to lecture to kids. Now the big push is to get them to do science."

Students in Deichstetter's classes do their own DNA fingerprinting, learn to gene-splice and study the effects of different proteins.

The Catholic school, Deichstetter said, allots little money for classroom research projects. But to help, the University of Illinois has given the school equipment and supplies, she said.

Next year the school will start a college-level biotechnology program and

Deichstetter is in the process of working with Elgin Community College to give students college credit for the course.

"I'm starting the program next year so I can get my feet on the ground," she said. "That way, it'll be up to college level by the time (ECC) is ready."