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July 18, 2003/Tamuz 18 5763, Vol. 55, No. 47
Teacher honored in Washington
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
Deborah Gordon is no ordinary classroom teacher.
The third-grade teacher at Madison Simis Elementary School in Phoenix recently won the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching Math and Science and had the opportunity to meet with First Lady Laura Bush in the White House.
Gordon has been teaching at Simis for 14 years. In addition to working as a classroom teacher in the afternoon, she is the math teacher leader at Simis in the morning.
"I'm in other people's classrooms helping them with mathematics, working with their kids, helping them plan (and) look at student work, sometimes co-teaching with them, sometimes modeling," Gordon explains.
She also conducts workshops and teacher training at her school, and conducts math institutes for the Madison School District.
Gordon's recent recognition was awarded by the National Science Foundation. She was the sole winner from Arizona for elementary-level mathematics. After being nominated by her school district, Gordon had to submit to a lengthy application process, including selecting a lesson and evaluating her own instructional practices.
"Even if I hadn't won the award, the process of really picking apart a lesson is something teachers don't always have the time or opportunity to do," says Gordon. "It was such a good experience reflecting on my practices."
She says she was thrilled to be honored for her approach to teaching which focuses on real-life applications for math.
"I've been teaching this way for all 16 years and it used to be really radical thinking. I believe so passionately in helping kids learn to think," explains Gordon.
The award included a trip for two to Washington, D.C., and a cash prize of $7,500. The trip included a dinner at the State Department and a private tour of the White House. During the tour, Laura Bush came to greet the group and pose for photographs. Gordon says the winners were treated like royalty throughout the trip.
"They made us feel so wonderful and special," says Gordon.
In addition to working for the Madison School District, Gordon teaches math methods courses at the University of Phoenix for students studying to be teachers.
Prior to working at Simis, Gordon set up the kindergarten program at the old Jewish Community Center on Maryland Avenue and taught there for two years.
She lives in Phoenix with her husband, Michael Wheeler, a database administrator. They have four adult children, Jeffrey, 24, Rachel, 23, Sean, 21, and David, 20. The family has been members of Beth El Congregation for 25 years.
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