Did your teacher ever take you to a theme park or use a model of a rollercoaster to teach physics concepts in class, allow you to learn fractions and angles by building a gingerbread house, or measure force and motion on the basketball court? Highly qualified science and mathematics teachers bring these types of lessons to life for their students.

One of these remarkable teachers, Karol Griffith, a Science teacher at Vickery Creek Middle School in Cumming, is being rewarded for her success in using innovative methods and strategies in her classroom.

Griffith has been named a state finalist for the 2005 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the nation's highest honor for K-12 teaching in these fields.

Established by Congress in 1983, and administered for the White House by the National Science Foundation, the Presidential Awards allow for each state to select up to three mathematics and three science teachers as state finalists. From this field of state finalists, a maximum of 108 Presidential Awardees are selected representing the 50 states and four U.S. jurisdictions. Recipients of the 2005 Presidential Awards will be announced during a week of celebration events in March 2006 in Washington, DC.

When Griffith was told she was a state finalist, she said, "I had to read the letter three times before it sunk in that I was a finalist. I was stunned. I called or emailed everyone I thought would want to know. I was so excited. It made my summer."

Griffith is one of the 253 state finalists for the prestigious Presidential Award. Her teaching style is key to her success in the classroom. "Several of my peers and parents describe me as a real hands-on teacher. I think I am a very traditional teacher because I want the children to understand the world and think of solutions to problems," said Griffith. "Some of my assignments are very routine strategies to build a knowledge base. Other activities are more engaging because students have to use that information to play a game or activity. I always include labs and explorations in a unit so that students can connect the learning to life experiences."

"Presidential Awardees represent exceptional professional models of what we are looking for in science and mathematics teachers. They are highly qualified in their fields, deeply knowledgeable about their subjects, and equipped with the methods and strategies that improve teaching and learning in science and mathematics," said Celeste Pea, Ph.D., Program Director of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education programs at the National Science Foundation. "They strive to provide opportunities for their students to reach their potential in their respective schools and communities. Through this recognition, we hope to motivate similar creativity in other teachers, and to attract new recruits to the mathematics and science teaching profession."

"I never considered any other career. In fact, I have it recorded on my kindergarten graduation program for 'What I Want to Be...' After teaching for more than twenty-seven years, I am thrilled to experience a rush everytime I witness students learning new skills and information. There is nothing better the discovery expression on a face when they have that 'So that's why that happens!' thought," said Griffith, when asked about why she became a teacher.

The goal of the Presidential Awards is to identify and recognize highly qualified teachers. As part of the recognition process, Awardees will take part in a weeklong series of networking and professional development activities in Washington, DC. In addition, each Awardee will also receive $10,000 from the National Science Foundation. For more information about PAEMST, see forms and instructions available at: www.paemst.org

Congratulations, Karol!