Fourth-grade teacher Deidre Austen creates engaging learning activities for students with unique needs at Lutherville Laboratory for Science, Mathematics and Communications in Lutherville. Mrs. Austen facilitates a gifted reading program within her classroom. She utilizes a manipulative program called Hands on Equations to teach students how to interpret, balance and solve algebraic equations, and a writing program called Framing Your Thoughts to emphasize visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile strategies in grammar. A regular participant in the National Science Teachers Association conferences, Mrs. Austen recently co-presented a session at the Magnet Schools of America National Conference on strategies for using school grounds to enhance student learning. Mrs. Austen is a member of the school's Site Based Decision team, the magnet committee, and with a colleague, has begun the school's first environmental club.
