I am honored to receive this recognition for something that I love to do: teach young children. I am proud to represent the teachers in the State of Pennsylvania. I am grateful to the Abington School District for the opportunities they provide for me to grow as an educator and their confidence in nominating me. I would also like to thank the Rydal School community and my family for all of their love and support, for without them I would not be recognized for this award. Thank you!

Anne Magaha Rydal, PA | K-6, Mathematics, 2008

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

Anne Marie Magaha has been a kindergarten teacher at Rydal West Elementary School in the Abington School District since 1986. She serves as the lead kindergarten teacher for the district. Mrs. Magaha represents the district at the Intermediate Unit's Early Childhood Council meetings and other early childhood programs. She has played a critical role in the introduction and implementation of the Everyday Mathematics program in the district and was instrumental in developing a comprehensive plan for full-day kindergarten. Mrs. Magaha is recognized by school personnel and parents alike for creativity, enthusiasm, and an innate ability to connect with students of various temperaments and abilities. She not only engages her students but also gets to know their families and backgrounds, enabling her to individualize her teaching. One set of parents identified Mrs. Magaha as the best teacher they or their children have had at any level of education. In the classroom, she brings mathematics and science alive through a discovery approach using demonstrations and hands-on activities. Mrs. Magaha incorporates science and mathematics instruction into daily routines such as weather forecasting, calendar activities, and counting school days. She uses props such as candy, pumpkins, and toothpicks to make learning about graphing, measurements, and shapes fun. She also arranges field trips to enrich the learning activity of both students and parents and invites expert guests to teach about animals such as sea creatures and butterflies. In addition to established learning programs such as Everyday Mathematics and related software, Mrs. Magaha employs Pumpkin Math, a self-designed supplementary program that introduces students to concepts such as circumference, weight, and the correlation between the number of lines on a pumpkin and the number of seeds inside. Mrs. Magaha has a B.S. in elementary education from the University of Delaware and a Master of Education and Elementary Education from Chestnut Hill College. She has also taken continuing professional education courses at other universities. Mrs. Magaha is certified in elementary education.

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