A Dunwoody Elementary School teacher who dreams up science experiments during family vacations and routine errands has received a presidential award for her work.
The teacher, Amanda McGehee, 31, has been named winner of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. She is one of 85 educators nationally to receive the award.
Augusta teacher Linda Fountain of Rollins Elementary School received the same award. “It is shocking and thrilling,” said McGehee, a teacher for eight years. “I can’t believe I won.”
Winners receive $10,000 from the National Science Foundation. They are also invited to a conference in Washington D.C. where they can attend seminars and meet with members of Congress.
Since 1983, the program has recognized more than 4,000 teachers for their contributions to mathematics and science education.
McGehee has a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida State University. She was born into a family of teachers. Her grandparents and parents were educators. Her mother is a principal in Florida and her father taught history in the state.
McGehee draws her lessons from the world around her. When she and her husband Ryan visited Hawaii three years ago, the sandy beaches inspired her to create a lesson about erosion that was judged in the contest.
The teacher asked her students to build sand castles, then spilled water on them and blew them with hair dryers to measure the impact of wind and rain on beaches.
“I try to keep it fun,” McGehee said. “That’s what makes a great teacher.”
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