The Presidential Award is a profound honor, highlighting the powerful work done by teachers. As a mathematics educator, my passion is to ignite inspiration and foster empowerment. My joy in teaching stems from witnessing my individual students' growth in the classroom and the positive influence I have on their lives. Recognizing that this award represents the collective dedication of educators nationwide, I am eager to showcase how we are designing and achieving student success!

Natalie Woods Idaho Falls, ID | 7-12, Mathematics, 2023

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

Natalie Woods has been an educator for more than 30 years, teaching a wide variety of mathematics courses. She has taught at Thunder Ridge High School for the past six years, with this year’s courses consisting of Advanced Placement Calculus BC, Calculus 3, Honors Algebra 2, and Geometry. For the past eight years, Natalie has also been a dual credit instructor for Calculus 1, 2, and 3 at Idaho State University. She previously taught for four years at Hillcrest High School, two years at Stony Point High School, 18 years at Austin Community College, and spent the first two years of her teaching career at Corona del Sol High School and Tempe High School. Natalie’s passion as an educator is to inspire and empower both students and fellow teachers. Her students thrive in a collaborative culture with high levels of peer engagement. She invites former students to share how they use mathematics in their current professions, including a riveting visit from a prototype instructor at the Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit. As the first Thunder Ridge Mathematics Department Chair, Natalie was instrumental in developing highly collegial and collaborative teams through mentoring, developing curriculum materials and leading professional development. Natalie was named a U.S. Presidential Scholars Program’s Distinguished Teacher in 2022. She is an AP Calculus Reader and the NCTM representative for the Idaho Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She is an Idaho State Department of Education Math Teacher Mentor and curricular materials reviewer. Natalie has a B.A. in physics and mathematics education from Arizona State University and an M.Ed. in mathematics curriculum and instruction from Concordia University Portland. She is certified in mathematics education 6-12.

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