TEMECULA - There are many words Tricia Radojcic's peers and supervisors use to describe her: dedicated, selfless, leader, intelligent, driven, creative and adventurous.

Yet, perhaps the best compliment for the Bella Vista Middle School science teacher comes from her seventh-grade students, and they can sum it up in one word - fun.

That's how they view Radojcic, or "Dr. R" as they call her, and that's what they think of her class.

"This is my favorite class of all," said Gabe Lefebvre, 12. "Dr. R makes it exciting."

"She makes science fun," said Behruz Babaie, 12.

Radojcic was recently honored as one of 10 regional finalists for the California League of Middle Schools' educator of the year award.

She and nine other teachers from across Riverside and San Bernardino counties were selected as finalists by a panel of their peers. Radojcic was the only teacher from Southwest Riverside County on the list this year.

"Every kid loves her class and comes in wanting to learn," said Bella Vista Middle School Principal Pam Keller, who nominated Radojcic for the award.

In the nomination, Keller touted Radojcic's long list of accomplishments, from being selected by the California Department of Education to recommend science textbooks, to earning grants to help her students better understand water conservation, to joining a team of teachers in Sacramento writing test items for the state's standardized exams.

On campus, Radojcic is known for opening up her classroom to students during recess, lunch and after school. When school's out, she is often traveling, and brings back artifacts and pictures to share with her students.

"She is a resource to all and inspires us to be the best we can through her dedicated and selfless example," Keller wrote in the nomination. "She is a true educator."

Radojcic, 53, said she was honored and humbled by the recognition. She said she views teaching like her students view learning in her classroom - it's endless fun.

"The reason I end up being successful in the classroom is because I regard it as playing," she said.

To that end, Radojcic is known for gleefully exclaiming "Yes!" when students answer a question correctly.

"That's as much me having fun as them - not to mention it wakes them up," she said.

She also allows the students to earn points throughout the week so that on Fridays they can play academic games.

"It's best when students don't realize they are learning, because then the resistance doesn't kick in," she said.

She said she also works to engage every student and, to do that, she employs a variety of teaching methods.

For example, if she is teaching about cell division, one day she might have the students view cells under the microscope to engage the students visually. The next day she could have them put pictures of a cell dividing in chronological order, employing a kinesthetic learning technique. The next day, she might make up hand signals representing the various stages of cell division, a learning process called "total body response."

"It's the same concept shown five or six different ways," she said. "So in the end, everyone had access to the information."

Making scientific concepts easily understood by her students is important to her, she said.

She often works to come up with her own, unique glossary definitions, ones she knows her students will comprehend.

Before making the leap to science teacher, Radojcic was a stay-at-home mom, and then a scientist studying neuroimmune physiology after earning her doctorate.

She was bitten by the teaching bug after volunteering in her daughter's sixth-grade classroom. She loved to interact with the students, she said, but what "pushed her over the edge" was when one despondent student became excited about pursuing a career in science under Radojcic's influence.

To this day, Radojcic said, one of the most gratifying experiences she comes by as a teacher is when she runs into former students and they tell her they are pursuing careers in the field of science.

"To me, it's like a personal triumph," she said.

Radojcic, a Temecula resident who has been teaching science for 13 years, said reaching out and forming friendships with middle school students, and finding ways to encourage them, is something she cherishes.

"In middle school, students still have a lot of innocence and playfulness, but also have a lot of intellectual abilities," said Radojcic, who has taught at all grade levels. "That just makes them perfect. You can make a difference to them."