The Presidential Award is a celebration and an affirmation of my daily work in the classroom. It is also a recognition for the many family members, students, and colleagues who have supported me in my journey. Being recognized at this level brings many opportunities for me to grow my leadership skills and interact with other highly skilled professionals in math and science teaching. I am honored to be selected for this award and am excited to be a voice for the youngest learners in our country.

Kristen Poindexter Indianapolis, IN | K-6, Science, 2014

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

Kristen Poindexter has been an educator for 15 years and has spent nine of those years teaching kindergarten at Spring Mill Elementary School in the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township. She also taught kindergarten at Greenbriar and Nora Elementary Schools in the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township. As an educator in an International Baccalaureate school district, Kristen facilitates the learning that goes on in her classroom by using a variety of open-ended questions and inquiries that help her students discover the world around them. Kristen shares her love of monarch butterflies with her students each September as they work to track migrating monarchs to their winter homes. Kristen's love of science goes beyond the classroom. She currently serves as the Elementary Director-at-Large for the Hoosier Association of Science Teachers (HASTI), and was chosen as a Shell Science Teaching Award judge after receiving the award in 2014 for her excellence in the classroom. Kristen is a frequent presenter at local, state, and national science conferences including HASTI and the National Association of Science Teachers annual conference. Additionally, Kristen serves as a science coach in her school district, where she mentors other teachers. Kristen has a B.S. in education and a M.Ed. from Ball State University. She is a certified elementary school teacher.

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