High School Sciences Bonnie Coulter Leech Edward S. Marcus High School Flower Mound, TX Bonnie feels that sharing her passion and joy for mathematics is her most significant contribution to education. To inspire an understanding and love of mathematics, she incorporates humor, songs and real-life stories into her teaching while simultaneously addressing learning styles and interests. To stimulate student interest, Bonnie encourages her students to customize their own learning spaces to empower them with a sense of ownership, even with such things as couches and recliners. "When I first had Ms. Leech I was 15 and hated math. Many of us felt defeated by math. By visual and tactile manipulation, Ms. Leech perfectly breaks down complicated math into segments even anti-math students can digest. After Ms. Leech, my math SAT score went from 560 to a perfect 800. The failed teaching styles that had made us feel stupid had been replaced by understanding, team effort and rationalization." - Rebecca E. Bolin, former student Highlights: Established the Marcus High School Mentoring Program to nurture and support novice teachers and reduce turnover of new teachers Consultant/writer, ACT Testing Consultant, Algebra I (Vol. 2), Glencoe/McGraw Hill (1998) Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year Radio Shack/Tandy National Scholars Award for Outstanding Mathematics/Science Teachers