Michael Ginsburg

Each year the President of the U.S. recognizes outstanding K-12 science and math teachers throughout the country. One math and one science educator is chosen from each state who exemplifies deep content knowledge combined with the ability to motivate students in science and math.

A favorite project in Michael Ginsburg’s class is his forces and motion unit, where his class uses Lego cars, weights, rubber bands, and meter sticks to discover the relationships among force, mass, and motion. Students use rubber bands to launch their cars, which are each carrying different weights, and then they measure how far each car goes. Ginsburg said, “In class, I stress that the goal is not to find the ‘correct’ answer, but one that is based on scientific evidence. I explain that this is how it happens in science all the time, and that what they learn from their failures is as valuable as what they learn from their successes.”

When I first started teaching, my mentor told me the mark of a good teacher is that of a pirate. That is, good teachers are able to take aspects of teaching they like from those around them and then create their own style of teaching. Hopefully this is what I have done. I have been very fortunate to have worked with a tremendous faculty throughout the 11 years I have taught in Madison. I like to think that I have created a style that relates to the children, keeps them curious, and leaves them with a smile.