Season 11, Episode 6 - October 22, 2025
In this episode of How We Teach This, elementary educator and 2025 National Teachers Hall of Fame inductee Michael J. Dunlea III shares how inquiry can break down classroom walls and connect learning across every subject. Drawing on more than two decades of experience, Michael discusses how he weaves science, literacy, math, and community service to help students explore their world with curiosity and purpose. He also offers a wealth of resources for teachers seeking to expand their own professional learning and global connections. Together, we examine how current science assessments often fail to capture students’ true abilities for inquiry—and what educators can do to create more authentic measures of learning. Tune in for an inspiring conversation filled with practical strategies and fresh perspectives on what meaningful science education can look like.
Michael Dunlea
2025 National Teacher Hall of Fame Inductee
Elementary Classroom Teacher, Michael Dunlea has been teaching for 22 years in preschool, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grades. He holds a Masters Degree in Educational Technology from New Jersey City University and a Masters Degree in Teacher Leadership from Mount Holyoke College. He has received several honors and was selected as a 2020 Varkey Foundation Global Top Teacher Prize Finalist, 2020 NEA Global Fellow and the 2018 Presidential Award of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. In 2025, he was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. Michael lives with his wife and children in southern coastal NJ, where he is an active member of his community, having served as President of Alliance for a Living Ocean, ALO.
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