Philip Bigler is currently the director of the James Madison Center for Liberty & Learning at James Madison University.  The Center is devoted to improving the quality of teaching while advancing academic excellence.  He continues to teach in both the history and education departments at the University and directs the annual Virginia Teachers of Promise Institute at JMU.

In 1998, Mr. Bigler was selected as the National Teacher of the Year during a Rose Garden ceremony at the White House hosted by then President, Bill Clinton.  A highly acclaimed history teacher for over 30 years, Bigler is widely recognized for his innovative methods, use of technology and commitment to teaching.  He is a sought after keynote speaker and has appeared on numerous television programs including Late Night with David Letterman, Good Morning America, and Nightline.  Bigler is the author of six books and is currently working on his seventh.  Tentatively entitled Scandalous Son, the book is the fascinating but tragic story of James Madison’s step son, Payne Todd. It is scheduled for publication during the spring of 2011.

“An old proverb asserts that "Civilization begins anew with each child." As an educator, I have found this statement to be both a vision of optimism as well as a dire warning. On one hand, our students are the intellectual heirs to Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, and Newton; the inheritors of a rich legacy of human progress traversing three millennia. Conversely, if we fail to successfully teach and educate our young people, we are just one generation removed from barbarism. I have always seen my role as a teacher to facilitate student learning in what will be a life-long quest for knowledge, to help ignite in them the spark of enlightenment, to motivate their interest, and to cultivate their minds.”