Millennia Gardens Elementary
Orlando, FL
Laura is a selfless, engaged, and dedicated 3rd grade math & science teacher. She got her master’s and is pursuing a Phd because she is so interested in teaching math/science in a way that will resonate with her students and keep them interested. She uses an oven on a cart in school to cook with the kids and teaches them fractions (e.g. cuts the brownies in 4×6 rows, pizza in 8 slices). She spends her own $$ for school supplies, but drives a 13-yr old car. She is presenting a paper at the FCTM annual conference (Florida) entitled “Mathematical Meals: Cooking up real-life problems”. By choice, she teaches in a Title I school, where the children need the most attention. She is very popular with her kids, and even during the pandemic, she had high rates of Zoom attendance. Laura has encouraged her students to pursue many outside endeavors (Earth Day, sustainability contests), and regularly attends awards programs at night and on weekends to support them. She also has ‘fun’ in her class regulary dressing up and decorating to keep the attention of the students. She continues to love her kids as they continue to the higher grades, seeking them out in the bus circle or hallways to check up on them. I would love to see her recognized.”