The Presidential Award acknowledges my diligence and enthusiasm for teaching science. Through collaboration with other skilled educators from across the country, I plan to enhance my teaching strategies and continue lifelong learning. I will be able to further promote inquiry-based science education and science notebooks at a local, state, and national level. I am truly honored to represent Hunter Elementary and North Carolina as a Presidential Award recipient.

Carol Wooten Raleigh, NC | K-6, Science, 2008

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

Carol Swink Wooten teaches fifth grade mathematics, science, and social studies at Hunter Gifted & Talented Magnet Elementary School. She has worked in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) since 1998. Mrs. Wooten has won acclaim for the hands-on, problem-solving experience she provides in the classroom. She is known for her repertoire of instructional abilities associated with best practices and student success. She values student writing in science notebooks, an area she has pursued in curriculum development activities and presentations. Mrs. Wooten's skill in challenging students' misconceptions of the subject matter is reflected in the reasoning and new knowledge recorded in their notebooks, which has demonstrated to other teachers what students can achieve through science writing exercises. One parent noted that Mrs. Wooten's teaching was the key to turning around his daughter's aversion to science, allowing her to develop confidence in her understanding of the material and build critical-thinking skills. Mrs. Wooten has also put in countless hours as an Odyssey of the Mind coach, helping students to question and probe and to discover answers in a competitive situation. In 2004 Mrs. Wooten was chosen as WCPSS's first Kenan Fellow, a North Carolina State University program to stimulate professional development and the engagement of science teachers in educational reform. She has been a leader in developing teacher support documents to supplement the North Carolina Science Standard Course of Study. She has led many workshops for the district and for leadership institutes and has presented at many teacher conferences. Mrs. Wooten has a B.A. in English with minors in mathematics and professional communications from Meredith College and an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction, curriculum development and supervision from North Carolina State University, where she also earned a supervisor's license (Praxis 410). She has kindergarten through sixth grade teaching licensure and an academically gifted teaching certification. Mrs. Wooten is National Board Certified as a Middle Childhood Generalist.

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