Hingham Extraordinary Teacher: Heather Murphy

Name:             Heather Murphy

School:           

Subject:           Science

Grade:            6 - 8

 Heather Murphy fosters a curiosity that breeds enthusiasm in her students. She lets them “get their hands dirty, get outside, and relate [what they learn] to something real.” 

 Ms. Murphy teaches science for grades 6-8 at , and is in the second year of her Composting Project with students.

 “I started the Composting Project to teach about composting, recycling, renewable resources and biological processes,” she said.

Murphy wants the students to actually see the scientific processes happen.

 She began with composting columns, a closed environment at the classroom level. When the time was right, just before Earth Day, students brought the columns outside to the field to the nature trail behind .  Murphy developed the trail, which boasts a wet loop and a dry loop, with the help of Eagle Scouts.

 “I let students look at decomposition and how it happens in the real world, in their back yard,” she said.

 This year, her students are taking it to an organic chemistry level, a seventh grade level, and “is amazing,” she said.

 Murphy knows her students could learn curriculum requirements from a worksheet, but she wants to give them the hands-on experience.

“If I can show them, if they can hold it, and see what is going on, they will remember,” she said.

Students' enthusiasm makes her extra effort worthwhile.

"The energy I am giving them is given right back,” she said. “It allows me to continue being curious and they are teaching me new ways to motivate students.”

At parent-teacher meetings, parents tell Murphy that their kitchen counter is filled with soil samples, seeds that are starting and seeds that are growing.  This is self-motivated by the students and not part of the class requirements.

Her students are now working on egg carton compost planting, the next phase of her Compost Project, and Murphy said the kids are very excited to see plants sprout.”

Thank you, Ms. Murphy, for the richness you contribute to curious minds.  We honor you as a Hingham Exceptional Teacher.