White House honors outstanding Robinson High teacher

TAMPA, Fla. - Ask any student in Ms. Oliver's class and you will quickly learn that she is no ordinary teacher. Students look forward to fun study games inside the classroom and exploring local waterways with their beloved teacher.

"Ms. Oliver is a really good teacher and she's helped me understand a lot about biology that I didn't know,” said Olivia Van Zandt, a junior at Robinson High School. 

Tiffany Oliver is an IB Biology teacher at Robinson High School in Tampa and she has spent the last 17 years of her teaching career making a name for herself. This year, the nation took notice of her work. The White House awarded her one of the highest teaching honors in the country. 

"It was just a whirlwind, because it was just a feeling of humbleness, almost like wondering, 'why me,' but also being thankful, grateful for the recognition,” said Oliver. 

The award went beyond recognition on paper. The honors also included a week-long trip to Washington D.C. 

"One of my favorite parts was the White House STEM Education Summit where we were actually able to speak with the senior policy advisers at the White House, and we were able to give our input for STEM education and where we're at and where we're going in the future,” explained Oliver. 

These monumental honors come as no surprise to Oliver's students. "She is such a good teacher, and she reflects really well on everything,” said Van Zandt. “I think she is really helpful to Robinson and our class.”

Oliver finds the award to be a rewarding experience. "It's so humbling that you're being acknowledged for the work that you do." 

But for her, teaching is not just her profession, it is her passion.

"I do this because I love teaching I love students,” Oliver added. "I love being able to instill a love of STEM in students and get them excited about the world of science."