AACT Member Spotlight: Tola Ogundipe



Every month AACT spotlights a passionate member who is dedicated to enhancing chemistry inside and outside the classroom. This month, we spotlight Tola Ogundipe. She teaches Biology, Earth Science, and Ecology at Harrisonburg Summit Academy in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Tell us about yourself.

I am originally from Lagos, Nigeria. I earned my Bachelor's degree with Honors in Industrial Chemistry (major in Chemistry and a minor in Engineering) from the University of Lagos. After graduating, I taught Chemistry, Physics, and Integrated Science before moving on to Lagos State Ministry of Environmental Planning as a scientific officer. I worked on a project that proposed water hyacinth as a potential biological water treatment alternative for the Lagos Lagoon.

I moved to the United States in 2002 as a graduate student to pursue a master's degree in Environmental Chemistry. Since then, I've switched to education as a career. I have taught all grade levels from preschool through Grade 12 (except Grade 5), Special Education, Adult ESOL, and coding. I have a Master's degree in Science Curriculum and Instruction and a graduate certificate in Integrative STEM. I am currently in an Ed.S. program for a degree in Education Leadership and Policy.

I enjoy true crime shows and documentaries (which no one in my family wants to watch with me). I also dedicate some time to my non-profit, Pious Safe Haven for Girls, located in Nigeria. We support girls from birth to college age, who are displaced, homeless, orphaned, or in poverty. We provide tuition, accommodation, basic needs, and monthly stipend based on the needs of the child.

What fuels your passion for science and teaching?

The lack of equity or equality for English Learners and minority students that I observe who are from socioeconomically underprivileged backgrounds.

What are you most proud of in your work?

My connection with my students in making science relevant to them and how they respond to it by sharing things or events in their lives that they have experienced relating to a concept or topic we are learning. It brings me pure joy because what all students worry about is "Why do I need to know this?", and if I can show them why, I'm content.

What is your approach to building a meaningful relationship with your students and their parents?

I teach in a district with over 60% minority student demographic. Unfortunately, that's not reflected in our faculty, staff, or administration. So, for me, being in the position where I can work with students that are deemed troubled and/or underachieving of which 90% of them are minorities or English Learners, is a dream come true.

We connect easily based on shared experiences. I think I give them hope of what they can be now, after high school, and and beyond. We share stories of cultures, and struggles, and perseverance. It usually takes a while with students, but with tenacity and sincerity, at least 9 out of 10 times, I get through to them and get them to make it to the finish line--graduation.

All parents and families of our demographic of students need to know is that we will treat their children with dignity. We will not be condescending. We will not give them only the basic minimum because we believe that's more than they would have got anyway. We will not judge them based on where they come from. We will not make assumptions of what's going on at their homes. We will not exaggerate the dysfunctionality in their families as groundbreaking when 70%-80% of American families are dysfunction. We will not judge their children based on our standards for our own biological children. We will mind our business and stay in our lane. That's what I do to connect with my students and their families. Treat them ethically and show empathy, that's what they need, not sympathy because that's what we believe they need. Focus on my responsibility as a teacher, and not their responsibility as parents.

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

Prove them wrong.