Pierce Teacher Gives Students Fun Experience with Science

One of the best ways to understand something is through hands-on experience. This is especially true in the classroom of science teacher, David Romeo.

Romeo, who has been in Milton for six years, has been taking an inquiry-based approach to education for the past 13 years. From having students design their own experiments to test meteor impact to teaching chemistry in rotating stations, Romeo consciously works to give his students an interactive experience.

“He is the consummate professional and outstanding teacher,” said Pierce Middle School Principal James Jette. “As the students would say, ‘He brings science alive and makes it fun while learning.’”

Romeo said he always wants fun in the classroom. “Everyday, I come to school and I can’t wait to do something,” said Romeo.

His enthusiasm rubs off on his students. “The kids are motivated,” he said. “They’re pumped.”

Romeo comes from a long line of medical professionals and teachers.  He said his passion for teaching goes back to his seventh and eighth grade science class. The inspiring teacher in the front of that classroom was Fred Romeo, his father.

Though Romeo went to college to be a history teacher, he eventually realized his true calling was science.

Fittingly, Romeo’s career started in Bristol, Conn., at the same school his father started his 35-year teaching career.

With his experience-based approach, Romeo is constantly working to bring things to his students. He has a shark skull he found on Wollaston Beach and built soda bottle rockets using piping donated by a student's parent who is a plumber.

Romeo also understands that students all learn in different ways. With that knowledge, Romeo’s human body lesson allowed students to create a project about the digestive system. Depending on the student’s interests and learning style they could create a model, write a poem, perform a skit, take a test or  make some other creative project.

“I got some fantastic work from the kids,” said Romeo.

Administrators like Superintendent Mary Gormley have noticed Romeo’s approach. “He develops each student's critical and creative thinking skills,” Gormley said. “David is a master teacher whose students are actively involved in every lesson.”

As the curriculum has dictated more math and technology in science, Romeo has taken advantage, introducing a robotics program at Pierce.

The after-school program started five years ago with 20 students and one robot, and has grown.

Through the program, Romeo is encouraging future professionals. “This is your next generation of builders and designers,” Romeo said.

Using his resourceful nature, Romeo worked to get funds for three more robots.

The Pierce Robotics team competes a few times each school year and has had great success. The team has earned the Mechanical Design Award, the Against All Odds Award and the Creative Presentation Award among others at various competitions.

This fall, Pierce hosted the first annual robotics competition. Ten local middle school teams participated in the friendly competition with the theme "Bio-Medical Engineering: Body Forward."

For the competition, students were asked to research an aspect of the human body to better understand the way the body works.

The Milton Public Schools’ first robotics competition was a collaborative effort. The music department provided the National Anthem and the art department crafted the trophies, while various teachers volunteered to chaperone the event.

Last semester, Romeo found out he met the standards for National Board Certification.

“This is a prestigious and outstanding accomplishment that he can definitely elaborate on all of the hard work and time put into this achievement,” Jette said.