Cicely Woodard

Nashville, TN | 7-12, Mathematics, 2017

Biography

Dr. Cicely Woodard is an experienced teacher leader who has taught secondary mathematics since 2003. She has spent most of her career teaching in middle schools in Tennessee. Currently, her passion for students learning math is evident in her high school mathematics classroom in Springfield, Missouri. Students in her math classes develop critical thinking skills while engaging in challenging math tasks that require them to justify their thinking and critique the reasoning of others through small group work and writing about math. Cicely believes that learning math can help her students face life’s challenges with confidence. Cicely is a 2017 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Recipient, the 2018 Tennessee Teacher of the Year, a 2019 Horace Mann for Teaching Excellence Award Winner, the 2019 NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence Winner, a 2022 NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow, and a 2024 National Curriculum Catalyst Fellowship sponsored by The National Network of State Teachers of the Year and the Collaborative for Student Success. Cicely has served on the advisory council of Teachers1on1, an online platform dedicated to helping students succeed by providing virtual learning led by qualified teachers. Cicely has been an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University and Lipscomb University. Currently, she serves as a member of the NEA Foundation Board of Directors. Cicely is a professor of math reasoning and the math faculty lead at Reach University, a non-profit university that offers job-embedded learning. Cicely earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Memphis, a Master of Education Degree from Vanderbilt University, and a Doctor of Education Degree from Lipscomb University.

High-resolution version of the official portrait photograph
Awardee holding Presidential certificate with National Science Foundation Directorate for Education and Human Resources Assistant Director, Dr. Karen Marrongelle, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director, Dr. Kelvin K. Droegemeier, and National Science Foundation Chief Operating Officer, Dr. F. Fleming Crim
High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

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