28 May, 2015
Michael Sullivan recognized for commitment to psychology education
WASHINGTON - Michael Sullivan, A psychology teacher at Hopkinton High School in Hopkinton,
Massachusetts, has been named a winner of the 2015 APA TOPSS Charles T. Blair-Broeker
Excellence in Teaching Award by the American Psychological Association’s Committee of
Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools.
“Michael shares a dedication to teaching in the classroom that is simply awe inspiring,” said Mike
Hamilton, chair of APA’s Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS). “The committee
strives to honor greatness in the classroom and Michael exemplifies that.”
Teaching as a true performance is what sets Sullivan apart, according to Hamilton. “I have never
encountered a better teacher in my life,” Hamilton said. “He brings everything to life in the classroom
and keeps students on the edge of their seats during every session. For the students,
Michael is truly a once-in-a-lifetime teacher.” Sullivan has mastered how not only to engage
students, but immerse them in effective learning experiences. “If ‘Aha!’ moments were
measurable, I have no doubt that students experience more in Mr. Sullivan’s classroom than anywhere
else in the school,” Hopkinton High teacher Mike Wilander said. “Michael has a unique
ability to make teaching applicable to real life,” Hamilton said. “As a teacher, having an impact
on your students for life is ultimately what it’s all about.”
TOPPS named the award this year for retired psychology teacher Charles T. Blair-Broeker, who
taught for 39 years at Cedar Falls High School in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and was awarded a APA
Presidential Citation in 2014 for his exemplary teaching of high school psychology.
Source: HHS News From The Hill
Photo: HHS Press Sean Pettepit
