Ann Gaffney Londonderry, NH | K-6, Mathematics, 2014

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

Ann Gaffney has been teaching sixth through eighth grade for the past 19 years at Londonderry Middle School. During this time, she has taught mathematics, science, reading, and enrichment programs; has developed curriculum; and has provided academic coaching to other teachers. Ann currently works with the school’s highest achieving mathematics students as well as those students who need additional mathematics support. Ann firmly believes that students of all ability levels develop their understanding of mathematics through their experiences wrestling with mathematical ideas and problems.  Student discourse is a key component of Ann's lessons. She challenges her students to present their ideas, critically investigate those ideas, and come up with generalizations based on their findings. Ann earned a B.A. in mathematics, cum laude, from Wellesley College, a M.Ed. in elementary education from Lesley University, and an Ed.D. in leadership and learning from Rivier University. Her research focuses on the professional development of in-service teachers, particularly in the area of mathematics teaching and learning. In addition to her elementary education teaching credential for kindergarten through eighth grade, Ann is certified to teach earth/space science grades 7–12 and holds three mathematics-specific credentials making her a mathematics content specialist grades K–12.

• High-resolution version of the official portrait photograph
• Awardee holding Presidential certificate between Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director, Dr. John P. Holdren, and Assistant Director, Directorate for Education and Human Resources, National Science Foundation, Dr. Joan Ferrini-Mundy.
• High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

Know a great teacher like Ann Gaffney? Sign up to be notified when nominations open