Episode Details

Anthony Godfrey:
I want to go back to something you said about your not being good at math.

Melissa Brown:
I struggled a lot being told I wasn't getting enough out of it. And I think the fact that I know exactly what those students are feeling like, never having that light bulb go on in class, not being the kid that can finish in five minutes. I think the kids take me a little more seriously because they're like, "Well, she had trouble and she could do it."

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Her teaching time adds up to more than two decades in the classroom, every day dedicated to transforming the way students learn and experience math.

On this episode of the Supercast, we sit down with Riverton High School's nationally recognized math teacher, Melissa Brown, to talk about her greatest passion and how it led her to receive the very prestigious “Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching”.

We're here at Riverton High School to talk with Melissa Brown, National Award-winning math teacher. Melissa, thanks for taking a few minutes.

Melissa Brown:
You're welcome.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell us a little bit about the award that you just received. There are press releases, and this is very rare for someone in Utah to receive this.

Melissa Brown:
So it's called the “Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching”. I was nominated, and then there's a whole application process. I found out two years ago pretty much, so I was a state finalist, and then it was just up to whenever the White House decided to announce the winners. I guess it took them two years to announce the winners.

Anthony Godfrey:
I remember talking about your being nominated and making it to the next level, being a finalist. I had no idea that this was connected. I thought that possibly you had been renominated, but hey, this is how the federal wheels turn sometimes. So tell us about this award, and you went through quite a process to apply.

Melissa Brown:
Yes. So I received an email several, I guess three years now, that said I'd been nominated. So I was nominated by Carolyn Gough, my previous principal, and it just said you've been nominated and said you can apply if you choose.

It's my understanding that a lot of people, after they read through what the process is, decide, no, thank you. Apparently, I was foolish enough to say, “Okay, that sounds good”. So then you have to submit a bio, a resume. It required several letters of recommendations from supervisors, parents, students. I think that was all the letters. And then you have to videotape yourself teaching and then write a bunch of stuff about that video answering a series of questions in like five different areas, I think.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow, that is nerve-wracking. How many versions of the video did you go through?

Melissa Brown:
Well, I guess I don't know if I should throw somebody in the bus, but I have a funny story about that. So this will be the last time I tell the story because I promise I wouldn't.

Anthon