The Presidential Award gave new cachet to buzzing about our hissing cockroaches and snuggling with an invisible litter of puppies. Upon entering my class, all felt magically transported into a research lab because my students were bustling dressed as pint-sized scientists. Every day I was awed by my students' curiosity and reminded of the glee of discovery. I am indebted to my principal and colleagues, who allowed me the freedom to prepare my students for the 21st century.

Eva Arrington Monticello, AR | K-6, Science, 2010

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

Eva Arrington teaches fourth grade at Drew Central Elementary School. In addition to 18 years in her current position, Eva taught for 7 years in California. Eva has reached out to the community and university to help transform her classroom into a working space station called Knowledge Port, a garden plot called Growing Minds Conservatory, and a rock archive called the Rock-n-Roll Museum. To educate future teachers at her alma mater, the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM), her teaching practices, which are grounded in Marzano's research-based instructional strategies for increasing student achievement, were featured on a DVD produced by Arkansas Educational Television Network and the UAM School of Education. Eva served on the Arkansas Science Framework Revision Committee. She served as Southeast Director for the Arkansas Science Teachers Association. She taught Gifted and Talented Science and Math Summer School for the Southeast Arkansas Educational Cooperative. Eva has a B.A. in elementary education from UAM and an M.A. in education from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. She is certified in elementary education and as a reading specialist. She is currently a first-year candidate working toward National Board Certification in early and middle childhood literacy: reading-language arts.

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