The Presidential Award is a celebration of the passion and commitment of the hundreds of educators and students who have helped me to become the teacher that I am today. Through their support, I have learned that the best teachers are not only masters of content and pedagogy, but also find ways to motivate and inspire the learners in their classrooms. We do this by maintaining high expectations, creating supportive relationships with students, and modeling hard work and perseverance.

Luke Wilcox Kentwood, MI | 7-12, Mathematics, 2013

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

Luke Wilcox is in his 14th year teaching mathematics at East Kentwood High School, where his classroom experience ranges from Algebra 1 to Advanced Placement Statistics. He currently teaches 12th grade Advanced Placement Statistics. Luke embraces the Common Core mathematics curriculum by creating engaging activities that allow students to dialogue about mathematics, encouraging deeper student understanding. He utilizes activity-based learning where mathematics is discussed within interesting contexts. He also leads the math department at his school, supporting the transition from rote memorization towards authentic thinking and reasoning about math.   More recently, Luke uses part of his teaching day in the role of an academic support coach. In this role, Luke develops and implements teacher-learning opportunities, which include Professional Learning Communities, Classroom Learning Labs, book clubs, and Cognitive Coaching. He also helps create and maintain a one-day summer workshop in which teachers can choose their own learning by attending sessions led by their colleagues. Luke has a B.A. in math education from the University of Michigan, where he graduated summa cum laude. He is currently certified to teach 6-12 mathematics. Luke received a Master's degree in adult education with an emphasis in mathematics from Grand Valley State University. 

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