AACT Member Spotlight: Anthony Stetzenmeyer



Every month AACT spotlights a passionate member who is dedicated to enhancing chemistry inside and outside the classroom. This month, we spotlight Anthony Stetzenmeyer. He teaches high school chemistry and AP chemistry at Belleville High School in Belleville, Michigan.

Tell us about yourself.
I’m passionate about chemistry education, and I especially love working with teachers and facilitating meaningful professional learning. I’ve fallen in love with phenomena-based instruction and creating learning experiences that empower students to take ownership of their learning. I currently serve as a fellow with MSTF and Teach Plus, where I continue to grow as an educator and contribute to the broader education community. I’m excited to connect, collaborate, and learn with other chemistry educators.

Why did you become a teacher? Did you always want to teach?

I have always wanted to be a teacher, since I was 6 years old! I just loved what was involved in being in a classroom; there was something about organizing and planning learning that felt important. When I was a child, I used to tape pieces of paper to my wall and pretend to teach to stuffed animals; I'd also have my father make copies of worksheets I made by hand.

As I grew older, I took much value in my life to be responsible for other peoples learning. I love thinking about materials and tasks to engage people to learn about something. This value has taken me into my career today.

Share a story from your past that led to your choosing your field of work.

I entered college as a chemistry major because I loved the subject, temporarily setting aside my childhood dream of becoming a teacher. During my sophomore organic chemistry lab, my lab professor noticed that I was especially good at connecting the day’s lab skills to concepts from our lectures (something that was difficult to do for many students). The professor asked whether I had ever considered teaching, and that conversation inspired me to begin taking education courses.

By my senior year, I had reached a crossroads: I could stay for a fifth year to continue pursuing education, or I could begin graduate school in chemistry. I chose graduate school so I could deepen my chemistry content knowledge. After four years in the program, my department chair recommended me for a teaching fellowship, which reignited my original passion for teaching. That experience brought me back to the path I had imagined as a child. Now, 12 years later, I’m still grateful that it did.

What fuels your passion for science and teaching?

I love understanding and recognizing the science that describes the life phenomena that we see - and communicating about it. I believe teachers are life-long learners and that appreciation from both teaching and learnng makes a lively classroom. My favorite moments that happen in a classroom is introducing a phenomena to students and having them grapple and investigate what is going on and why it is happening. I want to create spaces for students to be curious active that students take ownership of their learning.

What do you do to remain current and bring the latest science into the classroom?

Two words: professional learning. As I mentioned earlier, I believe teachers are lifelong learners. I worry that if I simply reuse the same lessons without critically reflecting on my classroom practices, I may plateau or fail to remain responsive and adaptable to the changing needs of my students.

That’s why I consistently seek opportunities to attend and present professional learning sessions and workshops, both within my district and at the national level. These experiences allow me to connect with other science educators, exchange ideas, and hold myself accountable for continuing to learn and grow.

In three words, what would your students say they learned from you?

Joy. Curiosity. Ownership.