Bonnie is a fifth grade teacher with National Board certification. She has more than twenty-five years of teaching experience at the elementary and middle school levels. Prior to her participation in the Responsive Teaching Project, Bonnie's science instruction was content-driven, grounded in guided activities that moved the students through the traditional steps of the scientific method.

Teaching the water cycle using a responsive approach differed dramatically from what Bonnie was accustomed to doing. When she first joined the project, she expressed hesitation and frustration. After implementing a responsive activity in her classroom, Bonnie was excited and surprised that her students were capable of engaging in rich, substantive discussions about natural phenomena without a rigid structure placed upon them. She expressed amazement that they could work for an hour or more exploring and elaborating upon their own observations. That these rich discussions occurred without much prompting reinforced her willingness to engage in responsive teaching. With time and experience, Bonnie eventually embraced responsive teaching and became a vocal advocate in meetings and with colleagues.