The Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching--Nominated!

In November of 2012, I was nominated for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. I'd been teaching with the Algebra for All/Project PRIME program (I was training other teachers) for 5 years and while I was excited about the nomination, I can't say it was unexpected. My co-facilitator brought the award to my attention in 2011 after the nomination deadline that year. She said to me, "I want to nominate you for this, but I'm only going to do it if you are going to take it seriously."

So she thinks I am qualified (yes!), but also knows that I don't take things as seriously as I could (YES!)

Let's see what do I need to do for an application:

• School demographics
• Letters of Recommendation (3)
• Resume (2 pages)
• Video of my class (45 consecutive minutes) of a lesson that students usually find difficult
• Written Narrative (12 pages) about the video (and teaching in general) that touches on:
• Mastery of Content
• Use of "Best Practices"
• Use of Assessment in making instructional decisions
• Reflecting on my practice and commitment to lifelong learning
• Leadership in Education
• Supporting documentation (10 pages) such as handouts, assessments, bibliography

Whew.

Spoiler alert: As of December 2013, I am a finalist from the state of Michigan for the PAEMST.