DELAVAN-DARIEN (WITI) — A high school teacher from the Delavan-Darien School District gets a big shout-out on “Cosmos” — seen on FOX6 this past Sunday. Kerry Butitta was mentioned as one of the best science teachers in the nation!
When you watch Butitta interact with students, you can see that she’s a bit of a rock star to them. Adoration is plastered on their faces — and good luck finding one who’s not hanging on her every word.
Fellow science teacher Amber Baker says even she likes to sit in on Butitta’s classes.
“I’ll walk in and her AP students are all like on the edge of their seats. They’re in here for like three hours and they’re still all like… And I just love it,” said Baker.
Delavan-Darien High School Principal Mark Schmitt says Butitta’s been turning out science disciples for years.
“The feedback from students and parents is consistently, ‘My son or daughter became a doctor because of Ms Butitta,’” said Schmitt.
Butitta was selected as the Teacher of the Week on the FOX show “Cosmos.” It’s an honor her students and fellow educators say she more than deserves.
But Butitta came to the classroom in a roundabout way — a microbiology major in college — she worked a series of other jobs before going back to get her teaching certification.
“As a microbiologist, you’re supposed to use a microscope. And I see my eyelashes when I look in a microscope. So talk about really poor career planning,” said Butitta.
Butitta clearly brings some humor to the classroom. Students say she does a great job of helping them grasp science’s complexities. Perhaps it’s only fitting that she’s being honored on “Cosmos.” She’s a huge fan of the man behind the original 1980s series.
“I’m a ridiculous Carl Sagan freak. And so to be tied to a program that again that circles back to some of what inspired me and brought me really into science and learning the way to talk about science, it was just unbelievable,” said Butitta.
School officials say it was an alum of the school who nominated Butitta. It was an online process and the nomination pitch had to be made in 250 words or less.