Stephen Boyarsky lives in Medford where he teaches biological sciences to grades nine through twelve at North Medford High School; since joining the faculty in 1975, he has also served as the coordinator for TAG, a program for Talented and Gifted students. Mr. Boyarsky describes himself as someone who likes to ask questions. "Asking questions puts me in the role of the listener," he says. "I've always learned more by listening than by talking." In his classroom he constructs instruction around inquiries that range form philosophical reflections to amusing, mind-twisting diversions. He wants his students to "deal with the big questions in life" and to realize that "the more they know, the more there is to know." He truly values taking students into the field because "taking students into the world causes questions to be raised that would not surface inside four walls." From going into the field come "lessons about occupations, teamwork, awareness of the natural environment, and, ultimately, lessons about the self." In 1993 Mr. Boyarsky was selected Science Teacher of the Year by the Oregon Academy of Sciences.
1972 Western Washington University, B.A.
