Festus High School biology teacher Karen Moffat said she strives to keep her students busy learning.
“I always try to have something engaging for the kids to do so they’re always active,” she said. “They very rarely sit quietly and independently. We almost always work collaboratively.”
She also has a sign posted in her room that says, “Understanding Not Answers.”
“I want students to understand the answers, not just Google them,” she said.
Moffat’s teaching practices recently gained her the 2024 Outstanding Biology Teacher Award for Missouri from the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT).
She said she has won teaching honors before, but she is particularly proud of this one.
“This one is meaningful because it was decided by other biology teachers, my peers,” she said. “There are so many good biology teachers in the state. I felt the competition was great.”
Festus R-6 School District Superintendent Nicki Ruess said Moffat’s honor reflects well on the district.
“I am excited that Dr. Karen Moffat was named Biology Teacher of the Year,” Ruess said. “Her passion, dedication and teaching have not only inspired her students, but also have set a remarkable standard for science education. This award is a testament to her impact and commitment to nurturing students in the Festus R-6 School District.”
Moffat received the award in early August. Honorees receive gift certificates from Carolina Biological Supply Co., items from other companies, award certificates and a complimentary one-year NABT membership.
In addition, Moffat is invited to attend the NABT Professional Development Conference Honors Luncheon in November in Anaheim, Calif. She said she plans to attend.
A written statement from NABT says the organization presents the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award to recognize outstanding biology educators in each of the 50 states, Washington, D.C., Canada, Puerto Rico and overseas territories. Candidates for the awards are not required to be NABT members, but they must have at least three years of school teaching experience. A major portion of the candidate’s career must have been devoted to the teaching of biology/life science.
Candidates are judged based on their teaching ability and experience; cooperativeness in the school and community; and student-teacher relationships, according to the statement.
Moffat said one of the ways she tries to engage students is to use topics relevant to them as part of her lessons.
“For example, we use cancer as our phenomenon to figure out DNA,” Moffat said. “It’s something they can relate to.”
Moffat, 52, has been a teacher for 23 years, with time away to raise her children.
“I’ve been here for all but two years in the middle (when she taught at Riverview Gardens High School),” she said. “I actually started in the Middle School here (in the Festus School District). I started as a special education teacher. I’ve been teaching at Festus High School since 2011. I’ve been a biology teacher 10 years here, the last 10 years.”
She earned a bachelor’s degree in exceptional child education from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, a master’s degree in teaching from Webster University in St. Louis County and a doctorate in education for teacher leadership from Maryville University in St. Louis County.
Moffat said modern society has made teaching more challenging over the years.
“I would say cell phones make teaching infinitely harder,” she said. “Kids have a computer in their pockets. They play games or watch videos or text friends. As a teacher, it’s almost impossible to compete with that kind of entertainment and addiction.”
So, Moffat does not allow cell phones in class.
“Teachers get to make their own rules on cell phones (in the district),” she said. “I don’t allow cell phones, but they are allowed in the building.”
Moffat and her husband, Mark, live in Crestwood. They have two adult children.