2006 Economic Educator of the Year

Ms. Melinda Dickinson

Sheridan Road Elementary, Lansing

     Melinda Dickinson is beginning her 30th year of teaching. It is her 23rd year at Sheridan Road Elementary School in Lansing, Michigan, where she teaches 5th grade. Melinda’s passion is teaching social studies; she especially enjoys integrating economics into children’s literature. A 1970 graduate of East Lansing High School, Melinda earned both her BA and MA from Michigan State University. She is the Chairperson for the Elementary Social Studies Steering Committee for the Lansing Public Schools, the Social Studies Curriculum Specialist for the Lansing School District, and the Project Coordinator for the Teaching American History Grant the Lansing Schools received in 2005. 

     Melinda became an Educator Associate (EA) for MCEE in 2003 and (with fellow EA John Noling) travels the state presenting Econ workshops to teachers and at state Michigan Council of the Social Studies (MCSS) conferences. She is the co-author of the game, EconAround Bingo (with John Noling), and the book, Teachin'  With the Be'ans. Melinda was selected to participate in the “We the People” Elementary Summer Institute in July 2004 and is the Michigan Congressional District 8 coordinator for “We the People”. In April 2005, Melinda participated in a NCEE study tour to Belarus & Lithuania. In the summer of 2005, she was a member of the Item Development Team for the new Social Studies MEAP. Melinda is also a member of the Executive Board for MCSS. 

     Melinda and her husband, Lee, have a son, Tom, who was the 2005 Michigan Social Studies Student Teacher of the Year and is in his 2nd year of teaching social studies in Lansing. In her spare time Melinda enjoys reading, gardening, knitting, cross stitching, traveling, and spending time at her parent’s summer home at Higgins Lake.  She also takes pleasure in her role as a member of the 7th Michigan Volunteer Infantry, a Civil War re-enactment group.

David Allardice, Melinda Dickinson, and David Dieterle

at the 2006 Awards Luncheon