The Presidential Award honors both my passion for mathematics and desire to foster interest in its discovery. I enjoy seeing how mathematics applies to many aspects of life – from entertainment to employment. I delight in witnessing my students reach “Aha!” moments and make their own connections. I hope that I can continue to encourage more students to learn key mathematics concepts while encouraging a love of mathematics discovery. I am humbled by this honor to represent my school and district.

Michelle Duphorne Grand Prairie, TX | 7-12, Mathematics, 2023

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

Michelle Duphorne has taught for over 25 years, spending the last eight at Grand Prairie Collegiate Institute, with three years leading the mathematics department as its chair. She previously taught at Mansfield Timberview High School, Carter Junior High School, and Costa Mesa High School. She currently teaches 7th-12th grade students Algebra I, Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AVID 2 and AVID 3, as well as facilitates Dual Credit (DC) Precalculus, DC Psychology, DC Sociology, and DC Health. Michelle has also taught seventh and eighth grade mathematics, Geometry, and Algebra II. Michelle’s leadership expands beyond her home campus as she is currently the District Mentor Teacher for AP Statistics and AP Mathematics in three previous years. She has assisted new AP teachers with curriculum, presentation guidance, and offered virtual instruction for AP Statistics students. Michelle enjoys encouraging students to discover concepts through investigations using escape rooms, puzzles, and magic tricks she has created. Officially named into the Society of American Magicians over seven years ago, Michelle was granted entry through her classroom use of magic as STEM in the real world. Michelle is a founding member of the Grand Prairie Independent School District Secondary Math Teacher Leadership Cadre where she has assisted new mathematics teachers in learning management software and creating interactive lessons for their classes. Michelle has a B.S. in mathematics with a specialization in applied mathematics from the University of California at Irvine and an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction, mathematics from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is certified in elementary education, middle school mathematics, and secondary mathematics.

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