Puma Team Science
Who Is Mrs. Andersen?
This current school year will be Mrs. Andersen's 26th year as a science teacher at Wooster Middle School. Back in the late 80's when Mrs. Andersen was in 7th grade (OMG she's old!), her science class dissected a frog for the first time, and that was it - Mrs. Andersen was hooked on science! She quickly began to develop a passion for the life sciences, which ultimately led her to choose a career in teaching, where she would be able to share that love of science with children.
She has a Bachelor's degree in biological and chemical technology, and Master's degrees in both science education (specializing in biology) and health education. In 2005-2006, she was honored as Stratford's Teacher of the Year, and in the spring of 2017, Mrs. Andersen was chosen by the CT Science Teacher Association for the Excellence in Middle School Science Teaching Award.
Mrs. Andersen's website includes helpful information students can use to better succeed in her class. The science pages that follow include important information she teaches in class, including class notes, links to sites that will help with homework and studying, and great images to help you to better understand the science material. She encourages students and parents to contact her if there is ever any question, problem, or concern.
**Please Note: Mrs. Andersen is now teaching 8th grade PHYSICAL SCIENCES so she needs to update her website from life sciences to physical sciences.
What to Expect in Science:
When you come into Mrs. Andersen's science room, you need to have an open mind and be willing to try anything! Whether she has you racing matchbox cars, engineering sports helmets, or finding magnetic objects around the room, you will find her class fun and educational. Before we can start performing science investigations in her class, Mrs. Andersen has her students promise her three things:
Never be afraid to ask questions about science, and equally, never be afraid to try to answer questions. When you study science, you will constantly be wondering and asking questions. Many times, there are answers in science, but sometimes, there are no definite answers, and that's what makes science so cool - there's stuff we haven't even discovered yet, and who knows, you may be that person who discovers a cure, or travels to Mars someday!
Never say you can't do something. One of Mrs. Andersen's favorite quotes is.."The moment you tell yourself you can do it..you realize you CAN do it." She believes in each and every student, and will encourage every one of them to try their best. She doesn't expect everyone to love science - she understands that not everyone in the world is a big science geek like her - but she does expect, rather demand, that every student give science a chance, and give yourself a chance. Believe in yourself and what you can do, and you will be surprised at all you can accomplish!
Never disrespect Mrs. Andersen or any other student in the science class, including yourself. All people deserve respect, and Mrs. Andersen demands that her students respect her and others. She will not tolerate rude, disrespectful students who disrupt her class, or put down other students in a negative manner.
OUR SCIENCE CLASSROOM RULE:
No one has the right to interfere with the learning, safety, or emotional well-being of others.
Therefore....
ALWAYS try your best, no matter what kind of day you are having.
ONE person speaks at a time. DO NOT talk when someone else is speaking, especially the teacher. Listen to what is being said, and then when it's your turn, you have the floor!
Respect EVERYONE and EVERYTHING in the science room.
ALWAYS follow the science safety rules so that no one gets hurt.
Be the best you, and if you're not being your best, then stop what you're doing, and take care of YOU!
Getting to Know Mrs. Andersen
When you walk into Room 215 for science, you notice that there's so much stuff to look at all around Mrs. Andersen's room. Since she spends 10 hours a day, Monday through Friday, in room 215, she has made her classroom into her second home, and it's filled with many of the things she enjoys. So, if you want to get to know Mrs. Andersen a bit more, look around her room at all of her favorite things, and to get you started knowing her better, here are a few fun facts...
She lives in Stratford with her husband, daughter, and puppy, Ripley.
She grew up watching The Muppets, and has always loved Beaker (see his picture to the right) and Kermit the best.
When she has a chance to play video games, she likes being scared, so she prefers old school games like Resident Evil, Until Dawn, and Silent Hill.
She's crazy good at Monopoly and Clue, so if you want to challenge her one day after school, be prepared to go home crying!
No, she's not an elf, midget, or short from drinking too much coffee - it's genetics!! But she's not even 5 feet tall, so she's used to the short jokes the other teachers tell about her!
Her favorite candy is Almond Joys, and she eats them in a weird way that drives people crazy. Her second favorite candy is Mr. Goodbar and then probably M&M Peanuts.
She listens to all types of music, but prefers old school 80's and 90's, especially 90's hip hop, and she absolutely hates country music, so don't ask to play it in class!
She is a Red Sox fan, so if you prefer the Yankees, you should just be ready to fail science this year - just kidding!!!
Her happy place is when she can relax at the beach, early in the morning.
Mrs. Andersen admits that she spends WAY TOO MUCH time watching television - some of her favorites are anything reality, like Big Brother.
Her favorite movies are the Fast and Furious, and anything that is horror!
Her hero is Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist.
Mrs. Andersen loves Disney movies, because she loves the Villains, with Maleficent being her absolute favorite!
Her favorite superhero is Superman, and she prefers DC comics over Marvel, except for Spiderman.
Mrs. Andersen doesn't have a favorite food, but you'll quickly see that she drinks coffee ALL DAY LONG!
Her favorite place in the world is at any beach, but if she was granted one wish to travel anywhere in the world, she would want to travel out into space.
Best animals ever....jellyfish, penguins, and dolphins! She has THE BEST penguin story ever to share with her students!
She is a Red Sox fan, so if you are a Yankees fan, please prepare to fail science class this year (Just Kidding!) (or am I?)...
You'll NEVER guess who she went to Springfield College with - here are some hints...
he's 4 years younger than her - he was a freshman when Mrs. Andersen was a senior in college, he's a famous WWE star, but he didn't wrestle in college, but instead was on the football team. Here is a football picture of him - #54
his motto is, "Never Give Up" and "U Can't See Me"
If you don't know who Neil deGrasse Tyson is, click on the image to the left to go to a link about him. He is one of Mrs. Andersen's heroes in science, and if you look up at her wall of quotes in her classroom, you will surely find a few from him. He is an astrophysicist, which is one of THE most difficult subjects in science to understand. He pretty much knows everything there is to know about space. He truly is one of the most interesting, funny, amazing scientists, and if you ever get a chance to meet him or go see him speak, you'll end up agreeing with Mrs. Andersen how cool he is!