Plymouth High School teacher Scott Milam was honored with the Mary Beth Carroll Extra Miler Award by the Plymouth-Canton Board of Education. Brad Kadrich

IB chemistry teacher Scott Milam accepts the Mary Beth Carroll Extra Miler Award from Plymouth-Canton Board of Education Trustee Patricia Mullen.(Photo: Brad Kadrich)

When Plymouth-Canton school officials were trying to figure out classroom assignments last year, it looked like some applicants for the IB chemistry program were going to have to be turned away.

Plymouth High School science teacher Scott Milam, who was scheduled to teach the course, threw up both hands at Principal Cheri Steckel and said, "Don't cut any of them! I'll teach them all!"

Steckel recalled the story Tuesday night, when the P-CCS Board of Education honored Milam with the district's Mary Beth Carroll Extra Miler Award. The award came after Milam was named the Michigan Science Teachers Association High School Science Teacher of the Year.

"He really just embraces teaching all kids," said Steckel, who hired Milam seven years ago. "It's the quality I most admire in him."

Steckel praised Milam for his efforts in making chemistry accessible for all students, regardless of level of strength. He not only teaches in traditional styles in the classroom, but engages students on their terms as well. For instance, he has made hundreds of YouTube videos, using straight teaching techniques and parody he even sings one video to the tune of a song from Disney's "Little Mermaid" to get his points across.

"He is insanely knowledgeable about chemistry," Steckel said. "He has a way of making it understandable to his students. He's also a really cool problem-solver. He has creative ways of writing grants and getting things for the classroom."

"I feel like what Iteach, a lot of little tiny things, have tremendous impact on what Ido," said Milam, who thanked, among others, IB coordinator Casey Swanson, who recruited Milam to teach IB chemistry. "That was a game-changer for me. It's kind of what I was destined to do."

bkadrich@hometownlife.com

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