From Classroom Chronicle:

Scholastic’s Instructor magazine recently featured Memphis teacher Melissa Collins. Melissa was one of nine finalists for the 2013-14 Tennessee Teacher of the Year, and was named the Grand Division winner for West Tennessee. You might also recognize Melissa from a video message she filmed for Tennessee teachers earlier this fall.

In the article, Melissa talks about why she believes a focus on science is critical in elementary school and what she she believes is her most effective method of instruction.

Read more about Melissa’s second-grade classroom here.  And my favorite quote from the whole piece about why Melissa does what she does:

I have some students who are going to school to become nurses and biomedical engineers, and I’m not even that old! You see what you spoke about come to life with your students. I just want to leave a legacy—I want people to know that I was here and did my part as a teacher and that I helped change lives.