Frequently Asked Questions
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Questions ...
Can I use your lessons in my classroom?
What is your educational background?
How long have you taught and what subjects do you currently teach?
What professional organizations do you belong to?
What is your educational philosophy?
What teaching awards have you won?
What program do you use for your website?
Who pays for your website?
What web-hosting service do you use?
How often do you check the links on your website?
What do you like to do when you find some free time?
Photo Gallery
Can I use your lessons in my classroom?
Activities, lessons, & worksheets available on any page of my web site are intended for use by a single teacher in his/her classroom or to share at educational conferences. Feel free to copy the worksheets to use with your students or share with another teacher in your school.
If you do use my worksheets, please follow these guidelines:
(1) You can not sell these lessons individually or as a package.
(2) You must cite the lesson's original source. Do not whiteout the copyright footer with my name, date, and/or website address.
(3) Do not claim my lessons or other materials as your own work.
What is your teaching background?
I graduated from Lewistown High School located in Fulton County, Illinois. In 1990, I earned my BS in Math and Science Education from Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois. I am currently working towards a Master's Degree at Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois. I have been involved with many professional development programs, including the Student Assistance Program, Standards-Aligned Classroom Program, Area III Technology Grant, and the GPS2GIS program.
How long have you taught and what subjects do you currently teach?
My teaching career started in 1990 as a math and science teacher at Havana Junior High located in Havana, Illinois. Our school, one of three buildings in our district, has an average enrollment of 400 students in grades 5th - 8th. From 1993 - 2002, I taught 7th Grade General Science, Accelerated Science, and Health . I moved to the 8th grade science and health position for the 2002-2003 school year and had lots of new things to learn! In 2003, I started teaching two technology classes in addition to 7th & 8th grade science classes. Since the 2006-1007 school year, I have been teaching 8th grade science and forensic science classes as well as 5th & 6th grade technology classes.
I am the sponsor of the Havana Junior High Science Club, Scholastic Bowl coach, and coordinator for the Havana Nature Center. I am the school coordinator for the annual Havana Junior High Health Fair held each fall. I have also been an officer (president and secretary) for the Havana Federation of Teachers and served on the district's teacher recertification committee (LPDC). I am currently serving as our district's Technology Integration Mentor and am the junior high technology coordinator.
What professional organizations do you belong to?
National Science Teacher's Association
Illinois Alpha Delta Kappa
Emiquon Audubon Society - I am currently serving as webmaster for the EAS Chapter website.
Havana Federation of Teachers, Illinois Federation of Teachers, and American Federation of Teachers
Central Illinois Science Exchange
What is your educational philosophy?
My classroom lessons and activities are created around the belief that children learn best by doing. Limiting science instruction to textbook readings and lectures limits the opportunities for learning. I choose to go beyond the traditional science classrooms of my past and provide a dynamic and engaging classroom environment focused on students. Whether a single lesson on metamorphosis or a unit devoted to geology, students have the opportunity to construct their own understanding of science topics through hands-on lessons, independent investigations, and engaging experiments. My classroom environment encourages students to take the lead in their learning and accomplish much more than could ever be possible from a textbook and lecture format. I choose to be the navigator guiding students through the learning process, rather than being the process itself. By providing the support and encouragement my students need to make their way down the learning path, they move from being dependent on the instructor for information to being the seeker of knowledge. Numerous activities provide the basic knowledge to preface learning, while extension activities allow many paths for the learning process itself. A few students will follow a simple path from question to result; others will choose an elaborate means to their end. Regardless of their chosen path, every child will learn during their time with me and build a foundation of knowledge from which to build in high school and beyond.
What teaching awards have you won?
2008 Maurce G. Kellogg Award for Excellence in Science Tecahing, Western Illinois University
Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching, State Finalist 2003
Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching, State Finalist 1998
Those Who Excel, State of Illinois Teacher of the Year Finalist 1999
2000 Conservation Teacher of the Year, Mason County, Illinois
Kids First 2000, Havana Optimist Club
What program do you use for your website?
I use Adobe GoLive 9 on my Dell computer to create and manage my website.
Who pays for your website?
I pay for the costs for server space and my domain name registration fee. I have a page at the Amazon Honor System for donations to help support the website along with the advertisements I run through the Hot Chalk Network. Click the "Click to Pay" box for more details! I do not charge for the use of any of the online worksheets or other webpages, but do appreciate all donations - large or small!
What web-hosting service do you use?
My website is hosted through Esosoft. They offer a basic webhosting package for a reasonable cost as well as domain name registration services. If you are looking for a great company to host your website, take time to visit their website.
How often do you check the links on your website?
In the "old" days, I used to spend lots of hours checking the links every summer. During the summer of 2002, I found the LinkAlarm website and signed up! Now I can check the links on my website simply by clicking a button and it only costs me 1¢ per page! LinkAlarm does all the work and sends me an e-mail with the results. I can spend one hour a few times during the year fixing the links that were broken rather than 10+ hours as I've done in the past. With the everchanging nature of the Internet, URLs change or websites are removed every day making it difficult to keep up with the changes! If you find a broken link, please send me an e-mail so I can fix it.
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What do you like to do when you find some free time?
I love to play on the computer, read, go geocaching with my son, and garden. My husband, David, claims that I am a certified computer addict. I tell him that I need something to do while he watches all those golf matches and my son enjoys his cartoons! I have also been bit by the genealogy bug and have spent countless hours researching the history of my Duncan ancestors. When I am not reading, gardening, computing, or searching for geocaches, you can find me watching my favorite shows on The Travel Channel or the Discovery Channel. I also love to travel and enjoy visiting Estes Park, Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Hanna Park, Jacksonville, Florida
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Tracy Trimpe (right) and her sidekick, National Science Teacher's Convention |
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The Trimpe Family Rocky Mountain National Park |
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Other questions? Send me an e-mail.
