One of the highest compliments received during my teaching career came from a student's simple note, "You make me feel like a better person when I am around you." This profound statement sums up the essence of how rewarding it is for me to be a teacher. Teachable moments are created by interactions with individuals--each encounter enriches the other's life. I am appreciative to be a recipient of the Presidential Award and to be recognized for having had so many of these indescribable moments.

Regina Scott Franklin, IN | K-6, Science, 2008

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

Regina Scott has taught for the last 17 years for Franklin Community School Corporation (FCSC), Franklin, IN, and the past 11 years at Creekside Elementary School, where she teaches fourth grade science. She also teaches mathematics and social studies in a team teaching environment. Prior to the joining Franklin Community School District, she spent seven years as a special education teacher in the Johnson County, IN, and Wabash County, IL, school districts. Professional development has been the cornerstone of Miss Scott's teaching career. She has participated in a wide variety of training, ranging from the Indiana Teacher Leadership Academy and the Indiana Student Achievement Initiative to workshops on differentiated instruction and energy education. Miss Scott implements new and innovative ways to cover a rigorous curriculum. She brings science concepts to life, relating them to students' everyday lives. Parents claim that their children still remember her imaginative experiments--and the reasons for them--after having been in her class. Students in Miss Scott's classroom benefit from hands-on, inquiry-based activities that enable them to make connections to science concepts learned in previous lessons. She requires students to explain answers to her questions fully, using scientific terms and vocabulary words in their responses. Described as an incredible classroom teacher and a leader among teachers, Miss Scott was honored as the Creekside Elementary School Teacher of the Year in 2008. She has also won the Most Influential Educator Award in the Seniors' Choice program and was the recipient of a FCSC Challenge Grant. After school she tutors and cosponsors the student council, which involves coordinating many community service projects. Miss Scott has a B.S. in elementary education and learning disabilities from Greenville College and an M.Ed. from Indiana Wesleyan University, where she is now an adjunct professor. She is also a pre-service teacher for Franklin College and an Indiana Mentor for new teachers. Miss Scott is certified in elementary education, learning disabilities, gifted/talented, and mildly mentally handicapped. In 2007 she became a National Board Certified Teacher.

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