The Presidential Award is an honor; not just for myself, but for my students and colleagues. The award validates my belief that students are resilient and can overcome great hardships, such as staying engaged in school during a pandemic. It also confirms my beliefs that staying current with mathematics education shifts, collaborating with other great educators, and continuing to believe that all students are capable of learning mathematics is what is best for student learning.

Kristi Martin Olympia, WA | 7-12, Mathematics, 2021

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

Kristi Martin has taught 9th-12th grade mathematics at A.G. West Black Hills High School for over five years. Previously, she taught mathematics and mathematics education courses for four years at postsecondary schools including Medaille College, Niagara County Community College, State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, and University at Buffalo. She started her career teaching middle and high school mathematics for two years at Lyndonville High School. Kristi works to incorporate social-emotional learning into each of her lessons. She communicates that all students are capable mathematics doers and provides opportunities for them to develop healthy attitudes towards themselves and others. She initiated the school’s first experience competing in the Washington high school mathematics contest. It was the largest attended academic event the school has hosted, and students vocalized that they were proud to take part. Kristi is the Vice President West of the Washington State Mathematics Council and has provided professional learning opportunities focused on effective teaching practices for educators. She has also presented sessions on reflective education and making connections between mathematical concepts at state and regional conferences. Kristi has a B.S. in secondary mathematics education and a B.S. in mathematics, both from SUNY Oneonta. She has an M.Ed. in secondary mathematics education and a Ph.D. in curriculum, instruction, and the science of learning from the University at Buffalo. She is certified in secondary mathematics education and career and technical education.

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