The award is an inspiration for my own continuing professional growth. Much like the scientific models I teach, which undergo continual refinement and replacement when more accurate representations emerge, my pedagogy has evolved by adopting more effective approaches. I'm honored by the Presidential Award recognition and I'm excited to share what I learn with fellow teachers and students as I continue to refine my instructional models through the award network.

Matthew Bryant Bowling Green, KY | 7-12, Science, 2023

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

Matthew “Matt” Bryant has taught science at The Miami Valley School in Dayton, Ohio for the past year. In the Upper School, Matt teaches four classes of physics and astronomy to 10th-12th grade students. Next year, he will teach an Advanced Physics 2 course and advise the robotics club. He previously taught at South Warren High School for nine years, taught college physics at Kent State University for one year, and taught physics for 13 years at Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron, OH. In 2019, Matt was selected as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow and spent a year in Washington, D.C. in a Congressional office as a legislative aide, working on education and other policy issues. When he returned to teaching in 2020, he began using the science modeling pedagogy promoted by the American Modeling Teachers Association. Rather than strictly lecture and tell students about science, Matt challenges his students to immerse themselves in the practices of science. Students investigate physical phenomena in small groups, share their results in class meetings, and develop their own conceptual, mathematical, and graphical models to make sense of what they find in the laboratory. Matt’s students discover for themselves the mathematical equations that they use to solve puzzles and make predictions about physical phenomena. Matt earned a B.S. in physics education from Kent State University and an M.A. in secondary science education from the University of Akron. He is certified to teach high school physics in both Kentucky and Ohio and is a National Board Certified Teacher in adolescent/young adult-physics.

Know a great teacher like Matthew Bryant? Nominate them for PAEMST!