It is an honor to represent my dedicated, talented colleagues in the Lafayette School Corporation. Throughout my career, I have been blessed to work with teachers and administrators who share the vision of encouraging students to be responsible, engaged learners. On a personal note, this award is an acknowledgment of my daily pursuit to use my God-given talent to teach mathematics to students and adults with excellence. 

Melissa Colonis Lafayette, IN | 7-12, Mathematics, 2013

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

Melissa Colonis has been an educator for more than 20 years and has spent the past seven years teaching mathematics in the Lafayette School Corporation. Currently, she teaches 9th-12th grade Algebra I, and 11th and 12th grade Advanced Placement Calculus at Lafayette Jefferson High School. Previously, Melissa taught middle school mathematics at Lafayette Tecumseh Junior High School and Sunnyside Intermediate School within the Lafayette School Corporation. She has also taught in Muncie, IN and Campbell, CA. Throughout her career, Melissa has worked with pre-service teachers by demonstrating methods courses and inviting undergraduate and graduate students into her classroom. In her mathematics teaching, she implements differentiated instruction techniques to account for the kinesthetic, auditory, tactile, and visual learners in her classroom. She encourages students to understand mathematical concepts while being mathematically fluent in their computation skills.  Melissa earned a B.A. degree from Purdue University, a M.S. degree from Santa Clara University, and a Ph.D. from Purdue University. She is a certified mathematics teacher for grades 1–12. In addition, she is a National Board Certified Teacher in early adolescence mathematics.

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