I would like to take this time to welcome you to 7th grade science and health.

I graduated from the University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana with a BS in Kinesiology with the emphasis in Sports Medicine and Education. Then moved to Texas in 1996.  I  finished my masters in Curriculum and Instruction in Technology at Houston Baptist University in 2012.  I helped open David Crockett Middle School and I am proud to be one of the original Mavericks.  This is my 24th year teaching.  I have always taught middle school students and love the challenges and rewards that my students give me.

I have a fur baby (black cat), named Orion who I will talk about a lot.  I am also a shark enthusiast who is very passionate about their survival and place in this world.  Shark Week is one of my favorite weeks of the year.  I love to travel and explore new places.  My favorite place that I have visited so far is Montenegro.  I also had the opportunity to climb to the top of Mount Vesuvius.

My teaching philosophy is that a great teacher must embody an extensive assortment of attributes that will enhance the student’s educational process. I believe that knowledge of the subject matter, interest in facilitating the development of students and the pure enjoyment of teaching are the most important. My passion for teaching extends beyond the subject matter. My students are the most important aspect of my teaching life. Therefore, their future belongs in my hands for at least eight hours a day. If nothing else, I know that my students will learn how to respect themselves and the people around them, how to question things they see, and how to get what they want out of life. I want my students to not only grow intellectually but I want them to develop skills such as analyzing, comparing and contrasting, and synthesizing. I want them to acquire common sense when they approach situations in my class or in the real world. The main point is that I am always here for my students and for my parents.

Throughout the year I hope to communicate with both parents and students about my class. I send weekly newsletters about items that we will be discussing in class; including the projects I will be assigning and when the tests will be taken, as well as general classroom updates. We will be using the Schoology platform for all of our assignments.  We will also use an interactive notebook (called an ISN).  Please visit Schoology and Skyward (family access) frequently to get updates and information about class, grades, and what's going on in Science.

If you have any questions or concerns please email me at donna.deerfield@fortbendisd.com and I will get back to you within 24 hours if not sooner.