WASHINGTON — Daria Schaffeld, MA, a psychology teacher at Prospect High School in Mount Prospect, Illinois, has been named a winner of the 2017 APA TOPSS Charles T. Blair-Broeker Excellence in Teaching Award by the American Psychological Association’s Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools.
“Daria is someone who is always on the cutting edge of her craft,” said Kristin Whitlock, MEd, chair of APA’s Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools. “She is always looking for new ideas and research to make sure her teaching is up to date.”
Schaffeld incorporates technology, including videos and online simulations into her lessons, applying a modern approach to teaching.
She has served 12 years as chair of the National Council for the Social Studies Psychology Community, which advocates for psychological science at the national level. At the organization’s 2005 conference, Schaffeld led an effort to make psychology a separate, independent discipline category within NCSS, removing it from the other social sciences. Additionally, she has sent information to thousands of psychology teachers across the country by using Facebook and Twitter and hosting #pscychat to raise the visibility of the NCSS Psychology Community. She currently serves on the Steering Committee for the first ever APA Summit on High School Psychology Education, being held July 9-14, at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. The goal of the summit is to promote the value, delivery, assessment and reach of psychological science through the teaching of high school psychology.
Schaffeld also provides additional resources for students after school hours. “The night before a test, she invites students to virtually review with her, on a forum in which she answers questions regarding the content of upcoming tests, as well as gives helpful advice,” said former student Itzel Velazquez.
As a result of Schaffeld’s efforts, psychology is one of the largest elective courses at Prospect High with between 100 to 150 students taking psychology each year.
As a teacher, Schaffeld not only wants her students to achieve academic success, but encourages them to take lessons learned beyond the classroom and into their lives. “Daria is a strong advocate in teaching students to be mindful,” said Jay Heilman, social sciences teacher at Prospect High School. “She believes that the goal of teachers is to prepare students for life.”
Schaffeld will receive a framed certificate, an engraved award, $500 and a complimentary TOPSS membership renewal for 2018. Additionally, Worth Publishers is providing her with a $500 credit to Bedford Freeman & Worth Publishers and a copy of the High School Psychology Video Anthology DVD.
The award is named for retired psychology teacher Charles T. Blair-Broeker, MAT, who taught for 39 years at Cedar Falls High School in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
In 2017, TOPSS marks its 25th anniversary as the voice of high school psychology teachers within APA. Through APA’s Education Directorate, TOPSS offers teaching materials, professional development, the Psychology Teacher Network quarterly newsletter and programs for high school psychology teachers and students. There are approximately 2,000 APA high school teacher affiliates in APA. Psychology continues to be one of the most popular high school AP courses, with over 293,000 students taking the AP exam in 2016, an increase of more than 16,000 over the previous year. International Baccalaureate psychology courses are also popular, with more than 19,500 students worldwide taking the IB psychology exam in 2016. Introductory psychology courses (non-AP/IB) are also taught in high schools.
TOPSS’s mission is to promote the highest standards in the teaching of psychology as a science and discipline; promote professional development and other means for lifelong learning for high school teachers of psychology; facilitate networking among teachers from all teaching levels of psychology; encourage recruitment and retention of students in the field of psychology; enhance the visibility and legitimacy of high school psychology; and recommend the appropriate advocacy, education policy and certification issues that impact the quality or visibility of teaching of high school psychology. Learn more about TOPSS on the webpage and on its Facebookopens in new window page.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes nearly 115,700 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.