HAUBSTADT, Ind. - Fourth-graders in Kimberly Elpers' science class at St. Peter and Paul School found themselves racing against the clock one day last week.
They were given only a half-hour to build, from parts they were given, a small buggy that could carry two rocks across the surface of a table in 4 to 6 seconds.
Elpers' role in that process was important, yet limited. She provided advice and coaching, but for the most start she let her pupils figure out the scientific concepts on their own.
"They are learning about effects of gravity, how a falling weight system can make something move, how the load affects it, aerodynamics," said Elpers. "They had a really good grasp of it."
In 31 years of teaching — all at the small Catholic school in Gibson County — Elpers has seen a lot of changes in her profession. The moon buggy exercise illustrated one of the biggest: Teaching these days is more about hands-on activities and less about textbooks and lectures.
Colleagues say Elpers has skillfully adapted. Even after 31 years in classrooms, she's committed to professional development and to learning more. It's one reason why she was named by the National Catholic Educational Association as one of only 12 winners of the annual Distinguished Teacher Award.
She was nominated by St. Peter and Paul Principal Kalyn Herrmann. Both will travel to Boston this week, where Elpers will accept the award.
Many of the other winners are from Catholic schools in large cities — such as New York, San Diego, Louisville, Ky., and Cincinnati.
"I'm really very humbled by it," Elpers said.
"It's quite an honor for our little school," added Herrmann. St. Peter and Paul has 110 pupils in grades K-5. Many are children of parishioners at the church.
Elpers, a Gibson County native, teaches science every day to each grade level at St. Peter and Paul. The school has a "science night" every fall semester. Pupils launch rockets in the spring.
Elpers was on an Indiana Department of Education core committee that recently rewrote science standards for public and nonpublic schools statewide.
As last week's exercise in Elpers' class showed, those new standards introduce engineering and design concepts to children in early grades.
"When I first started, it was mainly read out of the book. You might do a hands-on activity and then take a test. Now, we don't even have a textbook. It's all hands-on inquiry."
Elpers graduated from the University of Southern Indiana, and her master's degree is from Indiana State University.
Herrmann said Elpers brings innovation and enthusiasm to her science classes.
"She keeps herself in the know, of new things, new techniques, new ways to teach," Herrmann said. "That what makes her really great and why the kids like her so much. She learned a long time ago that hands-on science is where we need to go."
St. Peter & Paul fourth-grader Maci Foster agreed. "I like doing all the experiments," she said.
Added fourth-grader Wade Happe, "I like doing the hands-on stuff, instead of reading out of the book."
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