Yauco, PR - Mathematics
It is an honor to receive the Presidential Award. I feel honored by my colleagues who nominated and supported me along the process, by the State Committee who evaluated my performance as a math teacher, and finally by President Obama who made the selection.
This recognition represents a big responsibility because I receive it on behalf of all the Puerto Rican educators who work hard every day to give our students a better tomorrow, and it is also a tribute to all my students who made it possible.
For Mrs. Marin-Torres, there is no typical class. She uses a variety of teaching strategies that promote student participation, including curricular materials that she has developed to meet the specific needs of her students. They describe her as having a passion for mathematics and possessing a remarkable ability to motivate them with her positive attitude. Mrs. Marin-Torres is credited with always allowing time to listen and learn why a student is having trouble with a concept and finding a way to help the student understand. She also encourages her students to share what they learn as a result of participating in Mathematics Olympiads that are sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and the University of Puerto Rico.
Working to improve learning and teaching, Mrs. Marin-Torres facilitated workshops. She also served as a resource teacher as part of the Math and Science Partnership funded by the National Science Foundation. She was on the National Assessment of Educational Progress Math Translation Review Committee that translated the standardized mathematics test into Spanish in collaboration with the Educational Testing Service. She also coordinated the mentorship program for new mathematics and science teachers at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico.
Mrs. Marin-Torres was a teacher trainer for Title II projects, including assessment testing and evaluation of students. She was a member of the Curriculum Committee for Elementary School Mathematics. She authored and coauthored several publications and spoke at international conferences about elementary school mathematics.
Mrs. Marin-Torres has a B.S. in psychology from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez and an M.S. in curriculum and instruction from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico. She is certified in elementary and special education.