The Presidential Award is to me humbling and a great honor. Being placed among some of the best in our field is the seal of approval that I am serving the children and the community in the best way. This award has pushed me to challenge myself even more in providing a stellar education to my students, and will open new doors of opportunity for my students.

Tayana Thadal Roosevelt, NY | K-6, Science, 2016

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Tayana Thadal has taught at Washington-Rose Elementary School for 13 years, including third and fourth grade students with disabilities and English language learners. She is a faculty member of the National Board Council of New York and co-authored and facilitated the teacher leadership curriculum. She is now the sixth grade science teacher at Washington-Rose and a mentor to colleagues and teacher candidates. As a teacher leader, Tayana facilitates professional development locally and in Haiti, and guides teachers through the National Board process as a candidate support provider. She secured $17,500 of grants for supplies and project-based learning. She is a member of the National Science Teachers Association, and many school leadership teams. Tayana instills her passion for learning into her students. She believes that teachers make students fall in love with learning, and she does so through indoor and outdoor investigative science lessons and reading experiences, and her students learn to inquire about the world in which they live. Tayana holds a B.A. in elementary education from Hunter College of the City University of New York and a M.A. in elementary education of mathematics, science, and technology from Hofstra University. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, Middle Childhood Generalist, and recipient of the 2015 SCOPE Award for Excellence in Teacher Service.

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