In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, teachers across the nation have been recognized this week. President Obama, who is extremely vocal about his support for STEM education, has recently placed a special emphasis on science and mathematics teachers.
The 2011 National Teacher of the Year, Michelle Shearer, teaches high school chemistry in Frederick, MD and also previously taught mathematics. Shearer is an advocate for STEM education and utilizes real-life applications of scientific concepts in her classroom. “When students feel connected not only to the teacher but to the subject itself,” she says, “they quickly become eager to explore.”
Teacher of the Year recipient Michelle Shearer, with President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan, remarks during the ceremony. 53 State Teachers of the Year stand behind them. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
President Obama held a special reception on Tuesday, May 3rd at the White House Rose Garden honoring the National and State Teachers of the Year. Obama invited the teams from the National Science Bowl to attend as well.
“America will only be as strong in this century as the education that we provide our students,” said Obama during the ceremony. “And at a time when our success as a nation depends on our ability to out-educate other countries, we desperately need more Michelles out there. And that’s why we’ve set a goal of preparing 100,000 new teachers in the field of science, technology, engineering, and math over the next decade — fields that will give students the skills they need to compete with their peers anywhere in the world.”
He also mentioned his call for Congress to move quickly to rewrite and reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
In addition, President Obama recently recognized 85 outstanding science and mathematics teachers with the highest honor one in the field can receive, the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). It is awarded annually to K-12 teachers and alternates each year between primary and secondary teachers. The 2010 awardees teach kindergarten through 6th grade.
PAEMST winners receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation to be used at their discretion. Awardees will also travel to Washington, DC the week of May 17, 2011 for an awards ceremony and several days of educational events.
“The teachers we honor today have demonstrated uncommon skill and devotion in the classroom, nurturing the young minds of tomorrow’s science and math leaders,” said President Obama in the PAEMST announcement. “America’s competitiveness rests on the excellence of our citizens in technical fields, and we owe these teachers a debt of gratitude for strengthening America’s prosperity.”
To view the list of 2010 PAEMST recipients, visit www.PAEMST.org
To learn more about the National Teacher of the Year, visit CCSSO’s website.