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avatar for Devin Jackson

Devin Jackson

Foothill Middle School
Teacher
Walnut Creek, CA
Hello! Being green is a fundamental aspect of my personality, actions, and daily life. I have a strong connection, passion, and bond with nature, the environment, environmental sustainability, eco-literacy, water, energy, resource conservation, recycling, composting, and other waste/landfill diversion practices.

My name is Devin Joseph Guilford Jackson. I am a 6th grade middle school Life, Earth, & Physical Science/Engineering teacher in Walnut Creek, CA. I have just completed my 7th year of teaching in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. My wife and I have been married for four years and we have a 2-year old daughter named Katherine O’Leary Jackson.

I have a Bachelor and Master degree in education from St. Mary's College of California, in Moraga, CA. My Bachelor's degree is in Liberal and Civic Studies and a History Minor. My MA.Ed degree was awarded for place-based education in the outdoor school-yard science classroom versus the traditional indoor science classroom. My scientific/educational study focused on "The Value of Supplementing Science Education with Outdoor Instruction for Sixth Grade Students”. My study tried to prove that levels of engagement and content knowledge retention would be increased if the students learned science in an outdoor school-yard environment rather than the traditional indoor science classroom.

I am a life-long learner with a passion for teaching science and the environment and effectively incorporates academic standards into curriculum, including the Environmental Principles and Concepts (EPCs), Performance Expectations (PEs), Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), and Cross-Cutting Concepts (CCCs) in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). I believe that my students learn better and retain more information if they are learning content and skills in a hands-on, inquiry-based, collaborative working environment. I also believe that students should be "Citizen Scientists".

As an outdoors enthusiast, active environmentalist, and Sierra Club member, much like John Muir in the latter part of his life, I have spent and will continue to spend many hours and days in our beautiful country’s local, state, and national parks. I go for hikes with my wife and daughter in the ‪East Bay Regional Park District‬ lands. I am part of the local San Francisco Bay Chapter, state-wide CA Sierra Club, and the National Sierra Club. I co-founded the Bay Area Young Sierrans section of the Sierra Club. I have attended Sierra Club hikes around Mt. Diablo and many other Bay Area Parks. I have gone on numerous hikes with my family since I was a kid to the Point Reyes National Seashore and Marin Headlands.

As a 6th grade middle school science teacher, I have attended several professional development workshops in the ‪Marin Headlands‬, Point Reyes, and Yosemite National Park. In 2004, my family and I traveled by car across the United States and visited these National Parks listed below. I have visited Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon, Zion, Acadia, Great Smokey Mountains, the Applachian Trail (only small sections of it, I have never hiked long portions of it), and Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Park.

As the lead Environmental Sustainability Coordinator and staff advisor for the Environmentally Concerned Kids (ECK) Club at Foothill Middle School, it is my responsibility to ensure that all of the adults and students are trained, supported, reminded, and guided on how to lead an environmentally aware and sustainable life on campus.

In May 2018, under my leadership and with the guidance and help of my Principal and Vice Principals, Foothill was awarded a Bronze level Green Ribbon School (GRS) award from the CA Department of Education and received a Waste Busters award for 75% Waste Diversion with a future goal of Zero Waste.