H.R. No. 1270
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Martha McLeod, a science teacher at Fulton Learning
Center, is being inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame on
April 9, 2013; and
WHEREAS, The National Teachers Hall of Fame was founded in
1989 to celebrate and encourage excellence in education and to
preserve the heritage of the teaching profession in the United
States; each year, five of the country's most outstanding career
teachers are selected for induction by a panel of Hall of Fame
members, representatives from educational organizations, and
business leaders; and
WHEREAS, Joining the ranks of these distinguished educators,
Ms. McLeod is a fourth- and fifth-grade science lab instructor who
has two decades of experience in the classroom, including nine
years with Fulton Learning Center; she is known for the dedication
and enthusiasm she brings to her work and for her immersion style of
teaching, which is designed to promote a deep understanding of
scientific concepts and a sense of responsibility for the natural
world; a leader among her colleagues, she also serves as the science
subject area coordinator, overseeing the training and operations of
the science department, in addition to developing and updating
curriculum; and
WHEREAS, Ms. McLeod has transformed the Fulton campus into a
hands-on learning environment, complete with multiple outdoor
classrooms and habitats where students can observe wildlife and
grow their own vegetables; her efforts have earned the school
designation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat and an official Texas
Wildscape, and its grounds have become a destination in the
community's annual HummerBird Celebration tour; and
WHEREAS, Ms. McLeod's work to increase student engagement
further includes her creation of two poultry gardens, which allow
students the opportunity to harvest eggs and then sell them at the
farmers' market, and a campus-wide metal recycling project, which
has yielded more than 10,000 pounds of metal; moreover, she was
instrumental in organizing the school birding team, and she
established a junior docent program at the Aquarium at Rockport
Harbor; always looking for ways to make lessons relevant to
real-world contexts, she planned and implemented a comprehensive
unit on area wetlands, in which students observe and analyze how
water quality is affected by human activity; and
WHEREAS, This remarkable educator has garnered both state and
national Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and
Science Teaching and was a state finalist for the H-E-B Excellence
in Education Teaching Award as well as the Texas Environmental
Excellence Award; most recently, she was chosen from more than 540
nominees to receive the 2013 Ernest and Sarah Butler Award for
Excellence in Science Teaching by the Texas Medical Association;
and
WHEREAS, Martha McLeod's passion and innovation have opened
the minds of many young learners to the beauty and power of science,
and this prestigious recognition is indeed a fitting tribute to
this truly outstanding educator; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Martha McLeod on her induction into
the National Teachers Hall of Fame and extend to her sincere best
wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Ms. McLeod as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.
Morrison
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1270 was adopted by the House on April
17, 2013, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House