MORAN ? Stephen Smith, science instructor at Marmaton Valley High School, has been named a recipient of the 2019 Wolfe Family Teaching Award from the University of Kansas.
Smith, who has taught at Marmaton Valley for the past 25 years, is one of three teachers from across the state to earn the designation, which recognizes instructors ?who have greatly impacted students? lives.?
He will be honored at KU?s commencement ceremony in May.
Stephen Smith, science instructor at Marmaton Valley High School, has been named a recipient of the 2019 Wolfe Family Teaching Award from the University of Kansas.
While Smith admitted to being ?shocked? and ?honored? to receive the award this year, he confesses to a visiting Register reporter that the bigger story is about the student who nominated him.
?You should really talk to Emily,? Smith said.
That would be Emily Boyd, who is set to earn her bachelor of science degree in chemistry at KU, before relocating to Pasadena, Calif., to begin her post-graduate studies at the California Institute of Technology.
Boyd, who selected Cal Tech over such schools as MIT, Princeton, Yale, University of Wisconsin and University of North Carolina, plans to focus her fundamental research in chemistry related to energy and sustainability problems through the five-year program.
And while Boyd is one of the few ? if any ? Marmaton Valley alums to have attained an academic record strong enough to tell an Ivy League school ?thanks, but no thanks,? she returned the focus back to her former high school chemistry teacher.
She chuckled when told of Smith?s attempt to deflect the credit and not about to let him off the hook.
?The best thing about Mr. Smith,? she said, ?is he doesn?t let you get away without learning the material. He doesn?t let you fake it. From the beginning of the class to the end, he helped us understand the material. It just really worked for me.?
THE TEACHER
An Emporia native, Stephen Smith earned his teaching degree at Emporia State after which he landed at Marmaton Valley in the fall of 1994.
?I really wasn?t familiar with southeast Kansas, but it was a nice blessing to come here,? he said. ?There are many nice communities around here.?
Smith?s philosophy is simple: A motivated learner is a good learner. Smith is also big on hands-on learning. Common science projects include developing a lawn mower that runs on water, a 6-foot tall tornado machine and a gasoline-powered car converted to run solely on electricity.
?He really sets up the class to where you can learn the fundamentals,? Boyd said.
