Who's the New Kid in Chemistry?

Who’s the New Kid in Chemistry? offers an unprecedented look at student engagement and teacher best practices through the eyes of an educational researcher enrolled as a public high school student. Over the course of seventy-nine consecutive days, John D. Butler participates in and observes Rhode Island 2013 Teacher of the Year Jessica M. Waters’s high school chemistry class, documenting his experiences as they unfold. Who’s the New Kid in Chemistry? is a compelling example of what can be accomplished when an educational researcher and teacher collaborate in the classroom. This work includes a discussion on flexible homework assignments, data-driven instruction, and thirty teacher best practices. This book is an invaluable resource for teachers across all content areas, masters and doctoral research method classes, and future Teachers of the Year.

John D. Butler is the Director of Academic Planning and Logistics for the Village Green Virtual Public Charter School in Providence, Rhode Island. From 2005–2013 he served as the Mathematics Department Chair and Data Analyst for Beacon Charter High School in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. He is an adjunct faculty member of the Rhode Island College Upward Bound Program. Prior to making a career change from the private sector to teaching mathematics in 2001, he spent twenty-two years in mechanical/electrical engineering. Jessica M. Waters is the Rhode Island 2013 Teacher of the Year and the recipient of the Peter McWalters Professional Educator Award in 2012. Waters has been teaching science at Beacon Charter High School in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, since 2008.