Melissa Schaefer Adams, MA, a psychology teacher at Mundelein High School in Mundelein, Illinois, has been named a national winner of a 2022
APA TOPSS Charles T. Blair-Broeker Excellence in Teaching Award
by the American Psychological Association's Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS).
In her nearly 15 years of teaching, Schaefer Adams has become a model of how psychology should be taught in the classroom. She has a passion for incorporating science-based effective learning practices in her classroom to best maximize student learning and success. She is dedicated to ensuring that all students are engaged in the classroom, and she actively uses extensive resources to improve her classroom wherever possible.
For the last seven years, Schaefer Adams has used a flip classroom design to keep her students interested and participating in psychology lessons. “Melissa engages her students with animated simulations, experiments, and stories that invite them to experience psychology rather than just learn about it,” shares Stacey Gorman, Assistant Superintendent at Mundelein High School.
Schaefer Adams’ passion and dedication to the subject of psychology is reflected in her classroom and in the content her students engage with as deep thinkers. Former students rave about the difference having had her as a teacher has made on their academic journey. “Beyond class, Mrs. Schaefer’s passion for both teaching and psychology as a whole has led me to pursue the teacher career path... Mrs. Schaefer is an example of whom I hope to be like in the near future as I strive to bring as much zeal and commitment into my classroom as she does,” Damia Ali, a former student, recounts.
Outside of her own classroom, Schaefer Adams dedicates her time to using her psychological knowledge to help teachers improve their own classrooms. As the director of Mundelein’s Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) program, she is committed to making classrooms welcoming and equitable to students of all backgrounds. As the AVID district director, she promotes professional development through teaching and learning best practices. She has also increased student retention in the AVID program through the development of a family commitment meeting at the beginning of each year and increased community outreach by working with feeder districts and their families. Additionally, she created college week at Mundelein High School to increase college awareness and facilitate scheduled campus field trip visits to promote college outreach. Her many professional accomplishments include presenting at the National Council for Social Studies Annual Conference, the CHI-TOPSS conference, and a Pre-APA Annual Convention Workshop in 2019. Schaefer Adams has also been an Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology Reader for the College Board since 2014.
“Melissa is not afraid to take on a challenge. She took the challenge of teaching psychology and turned it into a passion that her students can feel every day. She does a fantastic job of promoting the science of psychology and critical thinking in her classroom” says Dana Melone, MAT, chair of APA’s TOPSS Committee.
For her deep devotion to her students and the teaching of psychology, the APA TOPSS Committee is excited to present this award to Melissa Schaefer Adams.
