Early in my teaching career, I wrote a letter of recommendation for PAEMST for the teacher I aspire to emulate. To follow in his footsteps by winning this prestigious award is an honor beyond belief. I believe in the potential of every student that walks into my classroom, and I show my students this by holding them to high expectations while supporting them on their educational journey. To be recognized reminds me that I was made to be a teacher and that my impact goes far beyond my classroom.

Amanda Horan Indianapolis, IN | 7-12, Science, 2023

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

Amanda Horan has been a science educator at Bishop Chatard High School for 13 years where she has taught Physics, Chemistry, Honors Chemistry, and Advanced Placement Chemistry to 10th-12th grade students. Prior to entering education, she supported pharmaceutical manufacturing at Eli Lilly & Company. In response to a calling to work with young people, she transitioned into teaching through the Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellowship in 2010. Amanda cares deeply about her students and the teaching profession, causing her to shift both pedagogy and assessment in her classroom. Her passion for constantly improving as an educator led her to utilize Modeling Instruction, an inquiry-based and student-centered pedagogy that is proven to deepen student understanding. Amanda now leads Modeling Instruction workshops, supporting other teachers in their growth. She also does this as an instructional coach at her school where she mentors new teachers and supports their professional learning. Amanda implemented standards-based assessment in her classroom to further support student learning. This assessment strategy helps students progress toward a goal and rewards persistence while also making her expectations for their learning clearer. Amanda was recognized in 2023 as the top K-12 educator in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis with the St. Theodora Guerin Excellence in Education Award. She is a reader for the AP Chemistry exam and presents at national chemistry education conferences such as the Biennial Conference on Chemistry Education. Amanda earned a B.S., summa cum laude, in chemical engineering from Purdue University and an M.S. in secondary science education from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. She is certified to teach physics and chemistry to grades 5-12.

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