November 2, 2023
By JAMES EVANS
Rutherford County Schools
You’ll often find Stephanie Finley visiting schools and classrooms wearing a weathered white lab coat.
As the longtime middle school science and STEM specialist for Rutherford County Schools, her greatest joy is helping teachers and students explore the surrounding world and learn how it works.
This week, Finley is being installed as the president-elect of TNSELA — which is the Tennessee Science Education Leadership Association. In this Q&A interview, Finley talks about how she first got interested in science and what she hopes to accomplish as an educator.
QUESTION: What is the purpose of TNSELA?
ANSWER: TNSELA is a professional organization formed to develop science education leadership for preK-16 school systems. TNSELA works to keep district science leaders at the forefront of science education and guide district science leaders in the implementation of science standards, curriculum, and professional development.
Q: What is your role as President Elect and then President?
A: I will serve as President Elect for three years beginning (today) and then move into the President role after those three years. I will work along side the current president, Andrea Berry with Knox County Schools, to organize and lead quarterly meetings with science leaders across the district as we help district leaders prepare for the new shifts in science standards in 2025 and the implementation of aligned curriculum. TNSELA leadership will also offer professional develop opportunities for district leaders and teachers across the state.
Q: What drew you to science? Do you remember when you first realized you wanted a career in teaching science?
A: I decided to take physics in high school because there was a cute boy in the class (who is now my husband). My physics teacher, Dr. J, took me under his wing and truly made me love science. We were always doing investigations at school in the classroom, in the hallways, and outside. Dr. J even took us night golfing using night vision goggles. Science just made sense to me because it was what makes up the world around us, and I loved being able to explain why and how things were happening. I grew up in a family of educators, so I always knew I would teach, but Dr. J helped me to see that science should be my focus.
Q: How did you find your way to Rutherford County Schools and what positions have you held?
A: After teaching three years of middle school science in both Cheatham County and the Franklin Special School District, I wanted to get a job closer to our house in Smyrna, so I began working in Rutherford County in 2005 at Stewartsboro Elementary as a fifth grade teacher. The following year, I helped open Stewarts Creek Middle School where I taught sixth and seventh grade science for eight years and then sixth- through eighth-grade STEM my last three years at Stewarts Creek Middle. After 15 years in the classroom, I began my current role as a science and STEM specialist for the district.
Q: What is the best part about your job as middle school science specialist? What are you most proud of?
A: The best part of my job is working with teachers to bring high quality science instruction to students. And I love when I get invited to teach a class or co-teach with teachers! I am most proud of the hard work our district science teachers have put into engaging students in making sense of real-world phenomena and building a culture of thinking and learning in their classrooms. I am also proud of the RCS STEM Expo, a unique learning opportunity for students where they are engaged in critical thinking and problem solving through research in which they present to evaluators for award and scholarship opportunities.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish as a science educator in the next five years?
A: I want to have accessible, high quality science storylines for every bundle of standards for each grade level. I want to provide every teacher with professional development around strategies that will help teachers advance their questioning techniques to elicit, probe, and challenge student thinking and to create students who communicate like scientists. Lastly, I want to build capacity in our district by intentionally developing science teacher leaders in our district.
Q: Do you have a favorite science experiment you like to demonstrate to students and your fellow teachers?
A: One of my favorite science "tricks" that I love to do with teachers and students is the windbag experiment to explore Bernoulli’s Principle. How many breaths of air does it take to fill a plastic bag that’s 8 ft (2 m) long and 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter? Let me know when you're ready to race to see who can blow up the bag the quickest, James. I will beat you every time.