The State Board of Education honored three Over the Mountain teachers as finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
Danielle Peterson of Greystone Elementary, Rita Schell of Hall-Kent Elementary and Pamela Smith of Edgewood Elementary are three of Alabama’s five state finalists who were honored March 14 in Montgomery for their teaching achievements.
Peterson is a finalist in math. Schell and Smith are finalists in science.
Established in 1983, the PAEMST are the highest honors for math and science teaching in the nation. The award is given to teachers who exemplify excellent instructional skills, content knowledge and leadership capabilities.
The award-winning teachers are considered models in their field and especially gifted in enhancing the learning environment.
This year’s finalists are all teachers of K-6 students.
Many students often find math and science daunting subjects, but these three teachers have developed innovative and interesting ways to engage their students.
Schell, a teacher for 13 years, said that because most of her learning was done through a textbook when she was in elementary school, she had trouble understanding and applying concepts. She felt she was “just not good” at science, and subsequently it became one of her least favorite subjects, she said.
Peterson said she had a similar experience with math.
“I was actually scared of math. That’s why it is so important to me that (my students) develop their number sense, that they understand the ‘why’ behind their work and are able to apply it,” she said.
All three women have tried to make their classroom learning environments different and put an emphasis on math and science.
Smith said her students “experience science concepts rather than read about them in a book.”
“Most activities are hands-on and involve inquiry-based learning and problem solving. They mix chemicals to learn about a chemical change, they build circuits to understand the flow of electricity and they grow bacteria in Petri dishes to understand germs,” Smith said.
Smith and Schell have the unique opportunity in Homewood City Schools to teach LEAD–Learning Enhancement and Academic Design–classes. LEAD classes provide science and math enrichment for K-5 students in laboratory settings.
Each class participates once a week, complementing the math and science curriculum in the regular classroom.
“I want to create learning experiences for my students that make science exciting and accessible for all learners. I want to foster a love for science that has students leaving Hall-Kent with science as one of their favorite subjects,” Schell said.
Schell and Smith said the LEAD program gives them the opportunity to engage their students more fully in a creative way.
Schell said that recently one of the students ran up to her and exclaimed, “Mrs. Schell, I love science.” Schell said comments like that are what remind that her work matters and makes a difference.
At Greystone Elementary, Peterson, a teacher for almost 20 years, incorporates interactive learning styles into her classroom through Math Lab.
“It gives me the ability to meet with the students, conference, guide them through misconceptions. I also am able to meet with those who are struggling with a concept or lesson and those who have the understanding and are able to dig a bit deeper into our studies,” she said.
She said the students love Math Lab and that it allows her to hold the attention of her students longer than a traditional lesson, although she teaches both methods.
Peterson also holds early morning math sessions once a week to aid those who are struggling or simply want more practice with the concepts the class is studying.
“We connect to our science studies as much as possible. This lets (the students) see that it is just not something you solve in school during math time,” Peterson said.
All three teachers agreed that the key to engaging students and helping them understand the concepts was getting them into hands-on experiences and applying the subject material to real-life situations as well as other subject matter.
Each of the teachers expressed a genuine love for learning and a desire to instill that love for learning in their students.
“I teach to make a difference in the lives of children. When my students are excited about learning, I know I am contributing to their future as a lifelong learner,” Smith said.
The national PAEMST winners will be announced later this year. Each winner will receive $10,000 and a certificate signed by the president as well as a trip to Washington, D.C.
Each state will have two winners–one in science and one in math.