The Presidential Award is the highest honor a teacher can receive. I am honored to be a recipient of this prestigious award. It recognizes my teaching skills, my philosophy on education, my students' academic successes, and my community involvement. It means that I have achieved recognition from fellow educators for what I pour my life into -- the success of my students! There is no award that surpasses this one for a teacher in public school education.

Joseph Parker Anderson, SC | 7-12, Science, 2013

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

Joseph Paul Parker has taught middle level science classes for 20 of his 24 years as an educator. For the past two years, he has taught eighth grade Earth Science and eighth grade Gifted and Talented Earth Science at Southwood Academy of the Arts, in Anderson, SC. Prior to Southwood, Paul taught middle level Science at McCant's Middle School, Lakeside Middle, Greenville Middle, Lakeview Middle, Oakway Middle, and Hand Middle. He has also served as an assistant principal, teacher mentor, coach, and teacher evaluator during his career. As an inquiry based instructor, he develops lessons that stimulate his students' natural curiosity to solve science problems through hands-on STEM activities. His lesson plans have been used by the Anderson County School District’s Five Curriculum Development Committee, the Naval Historical Foundation's national website, and Clemson University's Inquiry In Motion project website. He has taught as an adjunct professor at Anderson University, teaching teacher candidates how to develop and implement inquiry lesson plans in their future classrooms. Paul has a B.A. in elementary education from Clemson University, and a M.Ed. in education leadership and supervision from Clemson University. He is certified in elementary education, middle level science, middle school science, middle school history, middle school language arts, and middle level administration.

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