Bayer Hawaii spotlights amazing teachers
In celebration of National Teachers Appreciation Week (May 1-8, 2022), Bayer Hawaii sends a shoutout to all of Hawaii's amazing and dedicated educators, including science teachers Jennifer Ainoa, Randall Shinn and R. Kevin Tenison. We are inspired by their outstanding contributions to Hawaii’s youth and ability to inspire dreams, shape lives and give hope for the future. We honor them this week by sharing their stories with you.
JENNIFER AINOA (Moloka‘i Middle School)
Jennifer Ainoa caught the bug for teaching early on. “I recall being a second grader in elementary school, and as soon as I learned something new, I couldn’t wait to rush home and explain it to my younger sister. For me, sharing knowledge is so exciting and fun that I would say I am just wired to be a teacher.”
Today, Jennifer continues to empower her students to learn. Of course, she’s biased when it comes to science. “I believe science is the driving force inspiring all learning, and that’s why science education is so important for all students.”
According to Jennifer: “Students learn best when they feel safe, capable and successful. These are the relationship pieces that must be established in my classroom, even before science content is introduced. I find small, almost ritualistic lessons, where students know what to expect and how to complete the tasks successfully, builds their confidence over time. Setting this positive learning environment allows me to slowly, but consistently, increase students’ knowledge and understanding of science.”
Looking to the future, Jennifer shared “I like to think in terms of my students being potential voters and policy makers. I hope my students gain useful knowledge for making wise choices to better manage our natural resources, as well as to live healthy, productive lives.”
Bayer Hawaii is excited to support the efforts of science teachers like Jennifer through our Science Education Fund, and we applaud their dedication to inspiring the next generation of scientists, civic leaders and environmental caretakers.
RANDALL SHINN (Ilima Intermediate School)
Life sometimes has a way of steering us in the right direction and Randall Shinn’s story is no exception. He was on the path to becoming an optometrist when fate stepped in. “During my final year in undergraduate school my professor asked if I would coach his children's soccer team. As it turned out, that experience created a spark inside of me to pursue a career in education where I could not only coach soccer, but teach, guide, and mentor the future generation. Since that day, I’ve never looked back.”
And, what an educator Randall is! “I really enjoy the opportunity to take each student from the first day of school and allow each student to grow – socially, emotionally, and academically. Each school day provides me with a new challenge and opportunity to help make each student a better individual overall. It may be teaching a student how to socialize and make friends, to dealing with family issues at home, to differentiating my instruction to help that student learn content that he/she is having difficulty learning. Having my students know that I genuinely care about them as individuals also empowers them to learn. This is what drives me to wake up each day and go to work.”
Randall is also passionate about the subject he teaches. “Science encompasses all subject areas and allows students to have the opportunity to question, gather and analyze data and communicate their ideas based on evidence. That’s why science is so awesome! We continue to learn more each day with new technologies that are being used to enhance our understanding of the world we live in, ultimately providing us with the knowledge and tools for a brighter future. My hope is that my students leave my class knowing that learning never stops.”
Randall is a recipient of the Bayer Hawaii Science Education Fund and is grateful for the support. “Without Bayer’s generous donation, community support and expertise, my students and I would not have been able to take part in this learning journey on sustainability and hydroponics. With the hardships of finding grants to support science education, I feel truly blessed.”
Mahalo Randall for inspiring us all!
R. KEVIN TENISON (Lahainaluna High School)
R. Kevin Tenison decided to become a teacher after he got married and had children. “I sensed the need for dedicated teachers in Hawaii and wanted to do my part. Personally, I enjoy seeing my students excited about what they are learning and taking pride in the projects they make – whether it’s building a bridge, mousetrap car, balloon car, boomilever, catapult or coming up with their own invention. Students look forward to making things and keeping them engaged is essential to successful teaching.”
For 11 years Kevin has been opening his students’ eyes to the wonderful world of science, first as a chemistry teacher at King Kekaulike High School for five years, and then as a physical science and physics teacher at Lahainaluna High School for the past six.
Bayer is proud to support Kevin’s efforts through our Bayer Hawaii Science Education Fund, a program that over the years has funded essential equipment and supplies for many of his lab projects.
“I empower my students to learn by providing projects and lab activities that open their eyes to how things work. My hope is that they will use the tools and lessons they learned in my science class to solve problems in their own lives and the world around them.”