[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 11, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING MR. JORDAN McGAUGHEY ON RECEIVING THE MILKEN EDUCATOR AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BLAINE LUETKEMEYER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 11, 2018

  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Jordan 
McGaughey on receiving the Milken Educator Award.
   This award was established in 1987 by the Milken Family Foundation 
to attract, retain, and motivate the finest teaching talent to continue 
the good work of molding young minds. The Milken Educator Award has 
been hailed as the ``Oscars of Teaching'' and provides public 
recognition and financial rewards to those who have the honor of 
receiving the award.
   Jordan earned his bachelor's degree in History in 2007 and his 
master's in Education in 2008 from Truman State University. He now 
teaches American government classes at Seckman High School in Imperial, 
Missouri where he has shown outstanding commitment to his students, 
fellow educators, and the community. His classes stress the importance 
of valuing diversity, debating hot topics, and using critical thinking 
to formulate a personal opinion. Students have the opportunity to 
become more involved in the legislative process when they write their 
legislators, and in one particular lesson, they develop, present, 
discuss, and vote on ``new'' constitutional amendments. Jordan's 
students consistently perform above district and state averages and 
many have gone on to careers in government and education.
   To foster an enjoyable learning environment, Jordan uses numerous 
teaching styles. By rotating between cooperative learning activities, 
collaborative inquiry-based learning, and traditional lectures, he is 
able to engage and interact with students effectively. As a Google 
Certified Educator, he also incorporates Google Classroom, Socrative, 
and Kaboot technology into his lessons. These education tools create 
other avenues for students to learn skills that will positively impact 
their future career choices. In this age of social media, Jordan also 
utilizes live debates on Twitter to engage students during events like 
the State of the Union.
   In addition to his successful career in the classroom, Jordan serves 
on the district's professional development team and on the American 
Government curriculum committee. He also mentors student teachers and 
serves as an instructional coach, giving future teachers the 
opportunity to learn from someone who is motivated, passionate, and 
driven. Lastly, Jordan serves the community even further as a member of 
the Missouri Council for Social Studies and the St. Louis Teacher 
Academy.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in recognizing Mr. Jordan 
McGaughey on this great honor.

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