The Presidential Award represents excellence in teaching and joining a network of some of the best mathematics and science teachers in the country. It recognizes the hard work that teachers put in to provide real-world, authentic lessons for their students. Throughout the Presidential Award process, I was encouraged by the positive, meaningful work my students were doing and motivated to continue to grow as an educator and one worthy of such a prestigious award.

Todd Flory Wichita, KS | K-6, Science, 2022

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

Todd Flory has been an educator for 13 years and has taught fourth grade at Wheatland Elementary School for the past 12 years. Previously, he taught fifth grade at Buhler Grade School for one year. Todd believes teachers need to create global citizens in a global classroom to empower students to shape their future and the world. He regularly connects his students to other students around the world for collaborative projects, including a coding challenge, a cooking cultural exchange, and a 16-hour Connect Around the World day, where students virtually visit classes around the world to learn about new cultures. Todd is a 2018 Kansas Master Teacher and a past President of the Kansas Association of Teachers of Mathematics. He is currently a Teacher Leader Consultant with the Kansas Department of Education. Todd has presented at local, state, and national conferences on topics like global collaboration, personalized learning, and technology in the classroom. He has also written articles for online education publications. Todd serves as his district’s fourth grade team professional learning community facilitator and Wheatland's leadership team. Todd earned a B.A. in communication arts from Bethel College, a B.S. in elementary education from McPherson College, and a master's degree in instructional technology from Ft. Hays State University. Todd is a certified elementary school teacher and has an English for Speakers of Other Languages endorsement.

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