The Presidential Award is a testament to the work I have done in recognizing all students for who they are, where they are in learning, and using that to craft my classroom. It underpins that all students learning about science in the world that surrounds them is important. While it is an honor bestowed upon me, much of it belongs to the many teachers, mentors, colleagues, students, and communities that provide inspiration and support. It challenges me to continue doing what I've been doing.

Amanda Zullo Saranac Lake, NY | 7-12, Science, 2015

The official biography below was current at the time of the award. For this awardee's latest biographical information, see their profile page.

Amanda Zullo has taught Chemistry to 10th–12th grade students at Saranac Lake High School since 2005. Amanda is an advocate for inquiry-based instruction that facilitates student discourse. She was associate editor for the high school’s process oriented guided inquiry (POGIL) books and a presenter at local, regional, and national conferences on the pedagogy. This pedagogy has increased scores in her class while increasing the retention in post-chemistry science classes. Amanda earnestly believes that all students, in every grade, at her rural district deserve a quality education that is student centered and contains real-world applications. This belief has fueled her work with the Adirondack Farm to School initiative. The initiative has grown to include several area schools which focus on integrating the origin of food with curriculum, onsite gardens, and lunches containing local food for students in all grade levels. Her work on the Professional Development Committee focuses on making sure every teacher is provided with meaningful opportunity to learn, and support to execute exceptional instruction for students in their classrooms. Amanda earned a B.S. in organizational communication and pre-medical studies from State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo, a Master’s in science education, and an Advanced Certificate in National Board Certification/Teacher Leadership from Clarkson University.

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