GSE Alumni, Danielle Buggé receives National Physics Teacher Education Coalition Teacher of the Year
The Rutgers Graduate School of Education (GSE) is delighted to announce that one of our alumni has received the 2022 National Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) Teacher of the year. This honor recognizes outstanding physics teachers across the country. Danielle Buggé, a PhysTEC Graduate from Rutgers University, currently teaching physics at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South. Throughout her 13-year career, Buggé has created an environment where students develop confidence in science, communication, and collaboration. From her dedication to students and the teaching of physics, many successes followed.
Buggé builds her classroom using techniques including the Investigative Science Learning Environment, inquiry-based, universal design for education, and productive failure. Her teaching techniques are backed by research, much of which she has performed herself. Students in her classroom, even though they come in nervous and unsure about science, learn to reflect on their own learning, to think critically, and to communicate and collaborate effectively. More often than not, those students at least consider going into a STEM field after high school. Many of them actually do.
Through leading by example as a teacher and winning grants to create real-world opportunities for students, Buggé has improved STEM teaching culture at her school as a whole. Not only have more STEM classrooms in her district adopted inquiry-based learning techniques, but enrollments have increased. She continues to share her knowledge by mentoring new physics teachers in her district and sharing her research with physics education researchers.
“Danielle is an outstanding colleague and teacher. It has been a great experience working with her for the past 11 years. When I received the call for nominations in the spring, there was never any doubt that I was going to nominate her. Her contributions to her school, the GSE physics education community, and physics teachers all over the country are second to none, and she greatly deserves to be recognized for her hard work, dedication, and contributions. I am honored to get to continue to work with her. Her students and the field at large are lucky to have her,” says Dr. Robert Zisk, Assistant Teaching Professor at Rutgers Graduate School of Education.
Beyond the classroom, Buggé gives back to the teaching community by co-leading a professional learning community of physics teachers from and around Rutgers University. She mentors pre-service teachers and co-teaches graduate courses for teachers at Rutgers. All Rutgers pre-service physics teachers who have been mentored by Buggé and were hired are still employed as teachers. In addition, at least two of her physics students are currently studying to become physics teachers.
As this year’s National Physics Teacher Education Coalition Teacher of the Year, Danielle Buggé will receive a certificate of recognition from PhysTEC, funding to attend two professional physics conferences focused on teaching and teacher preparation, and a classroom materials grant of $1,000.
Congratulations Danielle Buggé on this astounding achievement. On behalf of the entire GSE faculty and staff, thank you for all of your contributions to the field of Physics Education!
To learn more about the American Association of Physics Teachers, visit here
To learn more about the American Physical Society, visit here