Inspiring Futures

Chris Morrell, IB Co-ordinator, Biology and Physics Teacher at Academy 6, has won a 2010 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Inspirational Teacher Award.  The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in America. Ram Rijal, a former Academy 6 Student who now studies at MIT, nominated Chris for the award.  ‘This may be a good time to tell you that you are the most motivating teacher I have ever had’, he wrote. ‘You made education fun and classes extremely lively. You have inspired me to look for more, search for more and break the conventional boundaries’.  Christine Tempesta from the MIT Committee told Chris, ‘Your inspiring work has contributed to the success of your students and, through them, to the success of our Institute and our world’. Chris, who is attending a dinner at the Royal Institution on May 29^th to receive his award, was honored to be receiving the award from such a prestigious organisation and surprised when he discovered he was the only teacher from the UK to achieve the award this year. He said ‘I am particularly pleased as the nomination for the award came from a former learner.’