To me, receiving the Presidential Award has been an opportunity to challenge myself in all aspects of my practice. It pushed me to think carefully about everything I do in the classroom: my goals, skill sets, strengths, weaknesses, and overall effectiveness as a teacher. At the end, there is no doubt I came out a better teacher from all the effort.

David McGill Saint Paul, MN | K-6, Science, 2018

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

David McGill has been an educator since 1999 and began his career as a gifted and talented instructor. Since 2010, he has been employed as the Elementary Science Specialist at Capitol Hill Gifted and Talented School, and teaches first through fifth grade science and sixth grade STEM. He previously served as a Technology Integration Specialist at St. Paul Public Schools for 11 years. David is the Twin Cities Metropolitan District Director for the Minnesota Science Teachers Association (MnSTA). He was a three-year fellow with Engineering to Transform the Education of Analysis, Measurement, and Science (EngrTEAMS). He coauthored a curriculum unit on fourth grade engineering standards. He is an active member of the Geological Society of Minnesota, the MnSTA, and the National Science Teachers Association. He was awarded two science fellowships by the Fund for Teachers, one to Greece to study Eratosthenes’ method for measuring the circumference of the Earth and another to Egypt to study the Antikythera Mechanism. He has been a fellow in the Mississippi River Institute, a Wind Ambassador for KidWind, and a NOAA Climate Steward. David holds a Bachelor of General Studies degree from the University of Minnesota, a M.A. in leadership from Augsburg College, and an Elementary Teaching License from the University of St. Thomas. He is certified in elementary education.

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