When Mika Twietmeyer was a kid, her least favorite subject was science. Today, Twietmeyer is the Teacher of the Year for Riverside, where she teaches science.
Twietmeyer grew up in Yardley, Philadelphia, and attended University of Maryland College Park, where she majored in biology and entomology. She got her Masters of Arts in teaching, with a secondary science concentration, at Duke.
“I always thought I would end up in the classroom,” said Twietmeyer. “I really enjoyed science but it was a hard class for me. I wanted to share my experiences with students, and develop creative ways to bring science to students.”
Twietmeyer teaches AP Biology, Honors and Standard Biology, and Credit Recovery Biology. She makes green pancakes to represent chlorophylls, takes her class on trips to the Eno and the tennis courts, and has a Pie day once a semester.
In addition to helping students in the classroom, Twietmeyer is happy to help outside of school. In 2016, after Wildin Acosta was detained because he was an illegal immigrant, Twietmeyer attended court dates and supported him throughout the process.
“My proudest moment was watching Wildin Acosta graduate after spending most of his senior year of high school in immigration jail,” said Twietmeyer.
Students who have had Twietmeyer enjoy her teaching style.
“My favorite part of having her as a teacher was her enthusiasm,” said sophomore Kaia Spero. “Her enthusiasm made me want to be excited too.”
By Zoe Ashe-Jones
