by Todd Loffredo
When Karin Guns first came to Hun four years ago, she had 25 years of teaching experience at a public school under her belt. Ms. Guns came to Hun from Pemberton, an Abbott District school. Abbott Districts have a large percentage of both minority and low income students, so crafting creative lessons and having hands-on activities became tantamount to her teaching. Ms. Guns has taught all levels of Biology here at Hun: AP, Honors, and Regular. Additionally, she has taught physics.
My favorite thing about Ms. Guns is her dedication to her students and colleagues and the diligence with which she approaches the classroom. My best Ms. Guns story comes from five years ago, when I taught her son Nick in my Biology class during my second year at Hun. I was so nervous to have a parent teacher conference with a “real” Biology teacher. Instead of coming in with guns blazing, she came in with four grocery bags full of extra lab supplies for me to use in my class. Her collaborative nature and desire to help others is remarkable.
Ms. Guns, without fail, does at least three hands-on activities or laboratories each week in her Biology classes. In a time where buzz words such as hands-on, experiential, and student-centered might be an educational phase, Ms. Guns is unwavering in her approach to pedagogy. She honed her teaching skills before coming to Hun and has really perfected them over the past several years. You might be thinking that it is easy to teach biology - a subject in which there are built in exercises to do hands-on work. Ms. Guns, however, takes these activities to a new level to keep her pupils engaged.
When Karin Guns first came to Hun four years ago, she had 25 years of teaching experience at a public school under her belt. Ms. Guns came to Hun from Pemberton, an Abbott District school. Abbott Districts have a large percentage of both minority and low income students, so crafting creative lessons and having hands-on activities became tantamount to her teaching. Ms. Guns has taught all levels of Biology here at Hun: AP, Honors, and Regular. Additionally, she has taught physics.
My favorite thing about Ms. Guns is her dedication to her students and colleagues and the diligence with which she approaches the classroom. My best Ms. Guns story comes from five years ago, when I taught her son Nick in my Biology class during my second year at Hun. I was so nervous to have a parent teacher conference with a “real” Biology teacher. Instead of coming in with guns blazing, she came in with four grocery bags full of extra lab supplies for me to use in my class. Her collaborative nature and desire to help others is remarkable.
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| Students use hydrogen peroxide and a liver milkshake to study enzymes. |
When I asked several of her students what words three words they would use to describe her, the adjectives that came up often were dynamic, fun, and challenging. Ms. Guns' students know that she demands a lot from them, but they look forward to her class, because every day offers them a new opportunity to get up from their desks and take ownership of their learning.
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