Laurie Templeton

Chugiak, AK | 7-12, Mathematics, 2023

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

Born to a family of educators, I recognized a critical need for strong, innovative, and compassionate STEM teachers. I knew I could, and needed to do better than many of my teachers. This fueled my drive to excel, not just for my students, but to be a role model for my peers. I'm committed to creating a safe, fear-free learning environment where I tirelessly support every student until they achieve understanding.

What has been the most transformative moment that affirmed your impact on STEM education?

Fully embracing an "experience-first, formulate-later" model in AP Statistics was my most transformative moment. The subsequent and sustained improved AP Exam scores affirmed my impact. This wasn't just about better scores; it gave direct evidence that my pedagogical shift profoundly impacted student understanding and achievement. Witnessing this empowered me to expand these strategies across all my courses, likely contributing to additional consistent growth for students of all levels.

Using your platform as a Presidential Awardee, how do you hope to advance our nation in STEM?

As a PAEMST Awardee, I champion a fundamental shift in STEM education: from rote calculation to fostering dynamic problem-solvers. My award validates classroom-proven strategies, enabling me to empower fellow educators with innovative methods. Teachers must learn how to reach students differently, in order to help equip our nation with people who are prepared to solve problems that haven’t even been discovered yet.

Biography

Laurie Templeton has taught multiple mathematics and elective courses at Chugiak High School for 26 years. Currently, she is teaching Geometry, AMPED on Algebra, and Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics to students in grades 9-12. Experienced-based learning activities are a vital part of Laurie’s teaching, allowing students exposure to content before exploring the formal lesson. Whenever possible, students learn by examining shapes and numbers to discover key properties and concepts. She involves the community to show real-world mathematics connections. The Anchorage Police Department’s Major Collision Investigation Unit created a parking lot of skid marks showing students how to determine the speed of a vehicle. In 2013, Laurie created the Chugiak Open Invitational, a mathematics competition for high school students given annually online across several states. It allows Alaskan students access to conceptually difficult mathematics competitions. Laurie presents annually at district trainings sharing her knowledge of mathematics practices. These presentations have ranged from experienced-based learning to adapting teaching practices with improv. Laure actively participates as an AP Statistics reader. She uses this experience to create Mock AP Statistics reading to support Statistics teachers. Laurie gives back to the teaching community as a mentor, host teacher, and instructional coach. She created and moderates an online geometry teacher group as a safe place for teachers to support each other without judgement. Laurie earned a B.A. in mathematics and M.A.T. in education from the University of Alaska. She is certified grades 7-12 in mathematics.

High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

The views expressed in awardee profiles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF or the PAEMST program.