Receiving the Presidential Award is an exceptional honor, given its nature as a peer-nominated and reviewed award. This recognition is a tribute to my colleagues and those who work tirelessly to erase fear of mathematics from students' minds and replace it with excitement, creativity, and fun. I am greatly pleased to have these characteristics validated on a national level, and am excited to continue this work with inspiring educators, including those I will now have the opportunity to meet!

Sharyn Gray Santa Fe, NM | K-6, Mathematics, 2016

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

Sharyn Gray has taught first through sixth grade classes over her 18 year career. For six years, she taught sixth grade mathematics at Turquoise Trail Charter School. Next year, she will also serve as the middle school principal at Turquoise Trail Charter School. Sharyn strives to create an exciting classroom where problems are solved through teamwork, creativity, and persistence. She believes her job is to prepare all students for middle school by ensuring they leave her class with confidence in their skills, willingness to tackle challenges, and a positive attitude toward mathematics. Sharyn works extensively with MidSchoolMath to create visual story problems. This work led her to collaborate with a colleague to develop a unit planning framework to support teachers in designing problems while maintaining curriculum and standards. Together, they presented at the MidSchoolMath conference and the New Mexico STEM Symposium. Sharyn renewed her National Board Certification as a Middle Childhood Generalist in 2016. She earned a B.S. in graphic design from the University of Maryland, a M.Ed. in education of at-risk youth from the College of Santa Fe, and an Ed.S. in educational leadership from the University of New Mexico. She holds a kindergarten through eighth grade teaching license with endorsements in fine arts and gifted education and a K-12 administrative license.

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