Since 2008, Baltimore County Public Schools teacher Christopher Putnam has inspired countless students to challenge themselves to persevere and grow by utilizing the VEX Robotics platform. Mr. Putnam is a Technology Education teacher at Hereford Middle School in Monkton, Maryland where he is a driving force behind the Hereford Zone Robotics after school club. Each year, he and his co-coach, Shane Stoe, recruit interested students to join his 929 VEX IQ club as well as his 9290 V5RC club. This year, they have eight IQ teams and five V5 teams! Many of these students continue through high school in the program and apply the engineering, computer programming, collaboration, and teamwork skills they gained through the club in college and then pursue careers in these areas.
Not only does Mr. Putnam inspire students, but he inspires other educators as well. After witnessing his club during practice and competitions, Jeff’s colleagues were so impressed by the authentic learning taking place that they began their own branch of HZR at the elementary level. That was ten years ago, and it never would have come to fruition without Chris’ vision and assistance.
Chris Putnam takes this dedication to another level. In addition to running his club, he also hosts multiple VEX competitions each year, including his famous “Stampede” and multiple levels of the Maryland State Competition. When he is not hosting competitions, he is volunteering his technical skills, providing fields and materials, and helping set up at other Maryland VEX events.
Perhaps the most inspirational characteristic Chris Putnam exhibits is his dedication to running a student-centered program. He carefully crafts lessons that foster the engineering and programming skills the students need to be successful innovators. He believes in his students and realizes the importance of teaching them to be problem solvers. He encourages students to take risks and stresses that failures are the best learning opportunities. Most importantly, he motivates his students to work together to create their own designs and achieve a sense of accomplishment and pride. His teams’ incredible successes in the VEX program over the years are undeniable proof of his commitment.