I am honored and humbled to join previous recipients of the Presidential Award. After 28 years in a variety of roles in education, I returned to the classroom and reconnected with the thing I love best--working with students, feeling their energy and enthusiasm. Being selected to represent those who strive every day for excellence in this role affirms my highest aspiration: to do this job well, to make a difference in the lives of my students, and to have an impact on education and my peers.
John Willard has been an educator for 39 years. He has spent the last 25 years at Colchester High School, 14 of those years as an administrator and the last 11 years teaching mathematics. John worked as a special educator for 10 years, covering grades K–12. For 4 years, he taught middle grades at Whitby School, a Montessori school.
At Colchester High School, John has taught all levels of mathematics. He is currently teaching Algebra II with Trigonometry, Precalculus, and Advanced Placement Calculus. He also coaches the mathematics team and has ensured that students have opportunities to participate in a variety of state and national mathematics competitions. He has brought a “Math is fun; math is for active participation” approach to the classroom, ending every unit with a project that provides students a change of pace and an opportunity to show their mathematics skills through a variety of means and media.
His recent professional development has focused on applying differentiated instruction in mathematics classrooms.
John has a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Vermont, an M.S. in Mathematics from Rutgers University, and a Special Education M.Ed. and an Administrative C.A.S. from the University of Vermont. He is certified in secondary mathematics, K–12 special education, and K-12 administration.
- High-resolution version of the official portrait photograph
- Awardee holding Presidential citation between the Director of the National Science Foundation, Dr. Subra Suresh and the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Dr. John P. Holdren
- High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph
