Michael Berndt, MEd, a psychology teacher at Apollo High School in St. Cloud, Minnesota, has been awarded a 2023
APA TOPSS Charles T. Blair-Broeker Excellence in Teaching Award
by the American Psychological Association’s Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools.
Berndt has been teaching for twenty-five years, all of which have been spent at Apollo High School. He is recognized as a leader among high school psychology teachers, having founded a regional network of Minnesota psychology teachers (MNTOPSS) that provides professional development and networking opportunities for its members. Berndt also has served in a number of leadership positions on behalf of The College Board, furthering the teaching of Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology. He has worked as a workshop consultant and has helped facilitate the AP Exam Reading for Psychology in numerous positions of leadership, including as a Table Leader, Exam Leader, and Question Leader. He played a major role in charting future directions for the AP course through his work on the AP Psychology Development Committee (2018-2021).
In support of Berndt’s nomination for this award, Apollo High School principal Justin Skaalerud, described the deep esteem that Berndt’s colleagues hold for him and his clear effectiveness as an educator. He wrote, “Mr. Berndt is a highly respected teacher leader in our building. His students are often some of the most successful students on both class GPA and AP scores in our school district.” He further noted that Berndt has been the invited graduation speaker three times and has been selected by students to read names at graduation six times, illustrating the admiration students have for this beloved educator.
A former student of Berndt’s, Noelle Hackenmueller, also spoke in support of Berndt’s nomination for this honor. She described how Berndt created a classroom that made learning a joy. She stated, “I had Mr. Berndt as my AP Psychology teacher from 2021-2022. I had already heard a lot about how incredible of a teacher he was from students who were older than me, but no one did him justice. I had never learned and retained so much information in a class before.” She further added, “Mr. Berndt’s class was the only class I didn’t know what time it ended because I was captivated and engaged the entire time. He was so energetic and ready to teach.”
Berndt has worked tirelessly to strengthen and expand the psychology program at Apollo High School. When he began teaching at Apollo in 1998, there was only one psychology course offered to students, a single-semester elective in general psychology. Due to increased demand for psychology offerings, Berndt introduced an AP Psychology Course in 2001, and it quickly became one of the most popular AP courses in the school. Since its inception, more than 1,000 students have taken the AP Psychology Exam and earned college credit for their efforts. As the school’s population has grown more diverse, Berndt has championed inclusive practices in AP and refused to enact measures that would have limited opportunities and access for underserved populations of students. As a result, his AP Psychology rosters reflect the full diversity of the student body, ensuring that all students can pursue rigorous study of this subject if they demonstrate interest.
“I am thrilled that Mike is being recognized for his excellence in the classroom and his meaningful contributions to the teaching of psychological science at the local, regional and national levels. He is truly an outstanding educator and colleague,” said APA TOPSS Committee chair Terri Lindenberg.
The APA TOPSS Committee is excited to present this award to Michael Berndt for his commitment to his students and to advancing the quality of high school psychology teaching.
APA TOPSS Chair-Elect Virginia Welle interviewed Michael Berndt about his experiences and advice as a teacher:
