It's safe to say Lampasas High School science teacher Dejah Bushong’s classroom lives on the wild side.
From mock body farms to arson labs, Bushong has a little bit of everything in her forensic science and anatomy and physiology courses.
Bushong, a former Lampasas High School graduate herself, was recognized as Lampasas ISD’s secondary teacher of the year.
“That felt really good! I absolutely love what I do,” Bushong said. “We do a lot of crazy things in here -- like we do dissections, labs and process a deer in anatomy and physiology. I do things a little differently than a lot of teachers do, and it felt very good to be recognized for what I like to do and the way I like to do it.”
Bushong has a passion for all things science, but originally she fell in love with chemistry as a student at LHS. She still remembers days spent in Paul Volpe’s chemistry class.
“Those of us who liked it and got the math, when we got bored he would let us go do the math and mix the chemicals for labs,” Bushong said. “So, I liked doing that, and he let me do that for two years. And even when I was out of chemistry, he let me do it for a year. It was fun.”
Bushong originally hoped to secure a spot in pharmacy school after high school graduation but was turned down in the interview process. She worked to earn her chemistry degree then stopped her progress when she fell short in one of her final classes.
Bushong started her working career as an administrative assistant in an architect’s office before getting bored and becoming a draftsman. She was grateful her employer granted her the chance to earn her degree.
“I really liked it, and they let me go back to school while I worked there and get my chemistry degree,” she said. “When the housing economy kind of took a downturn and I got laid off from there, I went into an alternative certification program and started teaching.”
Bushong started her teaching career in 2007. She has taught chemistry in Killeen and physics in Copperas Cove. She returned to LHS in 2019. Bushong said she enjoys the scientific process and passing those skills onto her students.
“Science teaches you how to think,” she said. “It teaches you how to solve problems and how to follow a process. It is not so much about the knowledge of science but about working your way through that process to find solutions to problems. If you can do that, you can do it in other areas of your life.”
At LHS, Bushong teaches four forensic science courses and three anatomy and physiology classes. She said in her anatomy and physiology course, students learn the structures inside the human body and how they work.
The forensic science class allows students the chance to learn how to analyze evidence such as blood samples and match it to a potential suspect. Also, students have a body farm outside the school where they observe chicken meat decompose over time.
Both of these subjects count as a science credit, but Bushong said they also count for students pursuing other careers. The forensic science course is a part of the law enforcement pathway, while anatomy and physiology is for those seeking an EMT/ paramedic pathway within the Career and Technical Education program.
She takes pleasure in having students who want to be in her classroom.
“I absolutely love it,” Bushong said. “Most of the kids who are in my classes, they have that goal in mind so they tend to be more focused. I have less behavior issues and a whole lot more buy-in than if I was teaching something they didn’t really care about because the state says they have to have it.”
Bushong said more than 200 students signed up to take one of her courses this year. For a teacher dedicated to her craft, she takes pride in the fact students are eager to join her classroom. She doesn’t see herself wanting to be anywhere else.
“Every day is different, every day is fun, and I just like it,” Bushong said. “I like what I’m doing. I like seeing the kids learn something and get to get their hands dirty and learn something. And I learn a ton of stuff from them, too.”
