High school teacher recognized for reinventing math classes

Elissa Miller doesn't just teach, she makes her students think. For Miller, teaching isn't just about lecturing, it's about involvement.

On Monday, The Golden Apple Foundation recognized Miller's special touch with the prestigious Golden Apple Award for excellence in teaching.

Miller, who teaches in Tamms, Illinois, was one of 10 in the state to be awarded. Award recipients defined themselves with "lasting, positive effects on students' lives and school communities," according to a news release describing "a highly competitive" process of more than 400 nominees.

As an algebra teacher, Miller removed emphasis from singularity and silence, pushing instead for students' group efforts. Miller also stood out for humanizing her subject, with her unusual emphasis on the cultural underpinnings of mathematics. Miller would even take time for her class to recognize and consider individual mathematicians, not limiting study only to their theorems.

She and her fellow award recipients will receive a $5,000 cash award and a complementary spring sabbatical sponsored by Northwestern University.

The Golden Apple Foundation mission is "to inspire, develop and support teacher and school leader excellence."