The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are a series of annual awards designed to celebrate math, science and technology teachers and their work in the STEM field. The potential recipients must first be nominated before they can submit their resumé, which is then critiqued heavily by judges from the states’ department of education. “Two teachers are selected from each domain; two from math, two from science, two from technology,” according to PAEMST State Nominee and Math Teacher, Jennifer Feehan. After this state-level judging, the nominees’ resumés are then edited to meet the national standards before being entered into the final contest, where the overall winners will be announced. The winners of the award receive “a certificate signed by the President of the United States, a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation and an all-expenses paid trip to a recognition event,” according to PAEMST.
Feehan, who is currently being reviewed by the national committee, does not know who to thank for the opportunity. This is because, she explains, “I got an email that said, ‘You have been nominated by Piper Feehan’ [Feehan’s Daughter], but in parentheses behind the name it said, ‘but really a student’… They wanted to remain anonymous.” After she was nominated by this anonymous student, she began the application. Feehan submitted some of her lesson plans, then was required to record a video of her teaching in class. This allows the judges to view Feehan’s ability to convert her plans into actual use in the classroom, as well as note her interactions with students. Following this, Feehan wrote and submitted essays that covered five domains of teaching, explaining how, what and why they teach, allowing the committee to see more in depth into each nominee’s minds, to further understand their thought process while teaching.
When Feehan was accepted by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), she was in shock. “I didn't think it was possible,” she explained. “I’m not usually speechless but
It made me speechless… It’s nice to be appreciated because I’ve been teaching for two decades.” Feehan attributed her high progression in the award consideration to her relationships with her students. She noted, “I feel like relationships are the most important part in making the students believe they can actually do the math,” and “I think it all comes down to the relationships that I build with you guys.”
The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching recognize teachers in the STEM fields that make a lasting impact on their students and the field in general. Feehan’s work in teaching and applying for this award shows her dedication to her work and her students. Furthermore, her excellent ability to connect with them shows a reason for her nomination and her progression this far into the award process. It’s rather obvious that her determination and her abilities can take her far.
