I have been lucky to be influenced by amazing educators throughout my career who have shared their pedagogical expertise and experiences to make my classroom the in-depth, inclusive, cross-curricular experience that it is. Winning this award honors their efforts in making our school and my classroom a place where students can discover their skills, their community and themselves. I hope this award allows a larger platform to share my curriculum so I can pay forward the effort of those mentors.

Nick Nohner Portland, OR | 7-12, Mathematics, 2021

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

Nick Nohner has been a secondary mathematics and computer science teacher in public high schools for 14 years after earning his mathematics degree from Gonzaga University. He began his career at Shadle Park High School in Washington for two years, and transitioned to Baldwin High School in Hawaii for two years, before accepting his current position at Ida B. Wells High School where he has been for 10 years and currently teaches 9th-12th grade students. In addition to his work in the classroom, Nick has been a curriculum developer and test writer at the district level, integrating hands-on experiments, relevant curriculum, and multiple forms of assessment for students. He has served as department lead and Technology Specialist for the school. In 2016, he was honored as a Paul Allen Distinguished Educator for his work in computer science. Nick is currently teaching and writing the curriculum for the first data science course being taught in the district with a focus on the intersection of current events, technology, and mathematics. Topics include the data and modeling in the support of our homeless population, medical triage and diagnosis, fraud, finance, native land stewardship, mental health access, sport performance, women’s access to reproductive care, policing, animal migration, and more. Nick also teaches a problem-based computer science curriculum that covers website creation, coding with Python, game making, and robotics. While students who take his courses vary in experience and background, the course is designed in such a way that all students find success while building relevant skills and confidence in technology. Nick earned a B.A. in mathematics from Gonzaga University and a Masters in integrating technology in the K-12 classroom from Walden University.

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