It is a great honor to be recognized as a Presidential Awardee and to be included in such an elite group of educators. Teachers are so much more than a source of knowledge for their students -- they nurture, support and encourage their students to help them to reach their full potential. I chose to be a teacher not for the glory or the accolades, but for the love of the profession and to be a guide and mentor for my students. I am proud to be a member of this profession.

Kristen Taylor Las Vegas, NV | 7-12, Mathematics, 2017

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

Kristen Taylor has been a mathematics educator for 22 years and has spent the last six years teaching Honors Geometry and Advanced Placement Calculus AB at Advanced Technologies Academy. She previously taught at Sierra Vista High School in Las Vegas and Kecoughtan High School in Hampton, Virginia. Kristen has developed a student-centered classroom that incorporates technology and flexible seating to differentiate learning, provide additional resources, and encourage collaboration among students. Students have opportunities to self-assess and make decisions about their learning as well as engage in mathematics discourse so that all students have a meaningful and positive mathematics experience. Kristen has presented at several conferences, including the Southern Nevada Mathematics Conference and The Nevada Mathematics Summit, and has been accepted to present about her experience and success with a flexible seating classroom at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics annual meeting in April 2019. Kristen has also served as an AP Calculus exam reader for the past three years. Kristen earned a B.S. in mathematics from Christopher Newport University and a M.A.T.L. degree with a concentration in curriculum and instruction from Nova Southeastern University. She is certified to teach secondary mathematics.

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