For me, there's no greater achievement than receiving the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. This award reaffirms my educational beliefs that learning should be engaging and meaningful. It also encourages me to continue sharing my love of teaching science with others. I am truly humbled to have been selected from among the most distinguished educators in the State of Hawaii and want to thank the National Science Foundation for making this a possibility.

Liane Tanigawa Aiea, HI | K-6, Science, 2008

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

Liane Tanigawa has taught in the Hawaii Department of Education since 1990. She has taught students in third through sixth grade, has a long history of leadership in curriculum development, and has served as a science trainer of trainers. Since 2005 Mrs. Tanigawa has been Mathematics/Science Coach at Pearl Ridge Elementary School. As the school's Science Curriculum Specialist, she facilitates its science committee meetings, identifies budgetary needs, and participates with other schools in the complex to build a seamless K-12 science curriculum. Mrs. Tanigawa is described as a go-to person for unit development and as someone who welcomes every opportunity to help a fellow teacher. Mrs. Tanigawa's students experience her love for science through imaginative hands-on activities. She created Pearl Ridge Elementary's robotics program, as part of which her students competed in the FIRST LEGO League robotics competition. She then expanded the program and incorporated robotics into the fifth grade science curriculum. Other creative and engaging units developed by Mrs. Tanigawa include Earth's Puzzle (focusing on geology and plate tectonics), Island Journey (focusing on evolution and diversity of organisms), Stream Team (focusing on people's impact on the ecosystem), and Ready, Set, Light! (focusing on electrical circuits). She has coordinated Science Curriculum Days for students, parents, and staff and works with outside organizations to coordinate field trips and bring experts into the classroom. Described as an exceptional teacher, Mrs. Tanigawa's passion for science is contagious. Her nurturing approach, centered on direct experience, generates excitement among students and encourages them to pursue their own interests, often engaging parents in the process. Her enjoyable yet rigorous curricula have inspired students to look forward to science class and choose science activities in place of recess. A lifelong learner, Mrs. Tanigawa received training in the use of Understanding by Design, a strategy in unit planning into which she incorporates the Hawaii State Content Standards. She prepared a unit on the geology of the Hawaiian Islands that was published on a Web site for all teachers to access. Mrs. Tanigawa has a B.S. in medical technology and a professional diploma in elementary education from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.

Know a great teacher like Liane Tanigawa?