Educator ‘born’ to teach biology receives statewide honor

When she was an instructional lab coordinator at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Mary Busbee had a goal for her non-biology major students.

“When they leave here, they’re going to say, ‘Wow, that’s kind of cool. I understand why that’s important,’” Busbee said. “I pretty much met those goals.”

Now in her third year of teaching at Vestavia Hills High School, Busbee teaches freshman biology and several advanced placement classes. 

With her ninth-grade classes, Busbee takes the same approach toward reaching students who may not have a passion for science as she did with college students at UAB, to help them appreciate and understand biology.

“I want to reach kids before they hate science,” Busbee said.

For her efforts, Busbee was recently named Alabama’s Outstanding Biology Teacher of the Year, awarded by the National Association of Biology Teachers, which annually honors a teacher from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, other U.S. territories and Canada with the award.

“It’s very humbling,” Busbee said. “It feels incredible to be recognized for the things I do.”

Busbee, an Odenville native, spent almost a decade teaching at St. Clair County High School, beginning during her last semester of master’s degree work at UAB. Her love of biology came while she was at Judson College in Marion, while her passion for teaching came later.

“It just makes sense,” Busbee said. “You can make connections about your own life and your health, and environmentally if you’re concerned about that. There’s so many connections to be made with biology.”

Biology, unlike some other sciences, isn’t always easily seen, Busbee said. The challenge as a teacher is to constantly come up with ways to model the science for students.

Busbee has helped grade AP Biology exams during summer break for several years and also helped develop the state’s course of study for science in 2015 and The Biology Compendium, a field guide to the state’s standards used by teachers to help them provide effective instruction.

“I learned a lot about content, but also stretching and explaining things to people,” Busbee said.

Busbee said she also takes advantage of any professional development opportunities she can to better herself as a teacher. 

In addition to teaching the material, Busbee always takes time to get to know her students.

“I always build relationships with my kids,” Busbee said. “I think that’s probably the most important thing is building relationships. There are going to be times that we do some really hard stuff; there’s going to be times where they’re challenged.”

The most rewarding aspect of her job, Busbee said, is when she hears from former students who say their college classes are a “breeze” after learning biology from her. Some students have even invited her to weddings and baby showers, she said.

The Vestavia administration and community have always been supportive of her, she said, making work enjoyable.

“I tell people I work in Disneyland,” Busbee said.

The administration’s work providing resources for teachers means Busbee said she’s freed up to focus on being the best teacher she can be.

“It’s been a joy to be here,” Busbee said.

Busbee encourages her students to find their own passion and to pursue a career in something they love like she did.

“This is what I was born to do,” Busbee said. “This is what I was made to do.”