Receiving the prestigious Presidential Award confirms and encourages me to continue to look for innovative, authentic ways to improve student learning. I am thankful to my colleagues, administrators, and community leaders for their confidence and support. I hope my selection will inspire my students, colleagues, and my children to always strive for excellence in their careers. The greatest reward of teaching is seeing your students inspired and successful after they leave your classroom.

Michelle Robinson Madison, MS | 7-12, Science, 2017

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

Michelle Robinson, an educator for 18 years, teaches Advanced Placement Chemistry and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Engineering courses to 10-12th-graders at Madison Central High School, where she has taught for 12 years. She is the Science Department Chair and director of the school's Model Academy of Engineering. She previously taught at Jonesboro and Mount Zion High Schools in Georgia. Michelle strives to inspire students to reach beyond what they think is possible and become self-motivated, critical thinking, and lifelong learners. Michelle diligently works toward bridging the gap between real-world problems and academics. In her class, students identify and provide solutions to problems in their own community. Students are encouraged to challenge themselves and take rigorous courses, so they will be ready for the lifelong learning they will need as they contribute to society in a variety of STEM fields. Michelle is a master teacher for PLTW where she conducts teacher training across the country, provides input for the professional development curriculum, and writes test questions for the national end-of-course tests. Michelle earned a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Connecticut and a M.A.T. in science from Piedmont College. She is certified in secondary chemistry, physics, and four PLTW Engineering courses and is National Board Certified in science.

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