GRANITE CITY - Granite City High School teacher Shannan Muskopf has been making a difference in biology education for many years.

Muskopf, who is in her 28th year at GCHS, teaches anatomy and physiology and second-year advanced biology for SLU dual credit.

Not only is Ms. Muskopf one of the top instructors at GCHS, but she has also become a nationally-known educator.

"Ms. Muskopf is an extremely skilled instructor in biology, anatomy and physiology, and life sciences. Her ability to utilize technology in and outside of the classroom, set her apart from others in the profession," said GCHS Principal Daren DePew.

Muskopf grew up on a lake at Lake of the Ozarks and didn't have a television growing up due to no signal living at the bottom of the hill. So Muskopf learned to entertain herself and that is where her love for science began.

"I entertained myself at a young age in the woods and water, finding creepy crawlers and animals," Muskopf said. "If I told my parents I was bored, they would find something for me to do and it would not be fun."

When asked what Muskopf's goal was as a teacher, the answer is plain and simple - to have her students be lifelong learners.

"My goal as a teacher is to instill in my students a sense of appreciation for science and encourage them to be lifelong learners," she said. "I want to make it interesting and engaging for the students, even if the content doesn't change."

Payal Patel, a 2019 GCHS graduate and current junior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, backed that statement with a recent text message to Ms. Muskopf that read:

"I'm taking anatomy this year and everyone in Group Me sends helpful study tools they find online and look, someone sent a photo album of your work. Thanks for helping high school and college kids all over.”

"That is what keeps me going," Muskopf added. "When I get a note from a student who graduated a few years back and to know I had a small impact on them."

Muskopf has managed a nationally-known website for over 20 years that serves as a resource for science teachers and students - biologycorner.com – and has over 14,000 followers on her Facebook page: facebook.com/biologycorner.

She also wrote an anatomy book for young students: Human Anatomy Activity Book for Kids; Hands-On Learning for Grades 4-7.

"Her talents allow her to adapt to change and overcome challenges that arise without interruption to her classes," DePew added. "Ms. Muskopf has been a technology resource for our teaching staff and an advocate for educators everywhere."

Muskopf earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Illinois in 1994, and master's degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in educational technology in 2003, and Illinois in teaching biology in 2018.

For more information about Granite City School District #9, visit www.gcsd9.net.

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