Perkins’ Christensen Named Presidential Award Finalist
Perkins Elementary School teacher Zac Christensen, a finalist for the prestigious PAEMST award.
Perkins Elementary School teacher Zac Christensen has been named an Iowa finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the nation’s top honor for K-12 math and science teachers.
If he wins the award, Christensen would be the 12th DMPS educator to earn the prestigious honor.
Below is a press release from the Iowa Department of Education announcing the finalists along with a Q&A with Christensen about math education:
Iowa educators named state finalists for nation’s highest honor in math, science teaching
Four Iowa educators have been named state finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
The two math finalists are:
- Zac Christensen, a second-grade teacher at Perkins Elementary School, Des Moines Independent Community School District
- Natalie Franke, a second-grade teacher at Brookview Elementary School, Waukee Community School District
The two science finalists are:
- Lisa Chizek, a fifth- and sixth-grade science teacher at North Tama Elementary, North Tama County Community School District
- Ashley Flatebo, an instructional coach at Jefferson Elementary, Mason City Community School District
“These Iowa educators are role models to their students and colleagues and an inspiration to their communities,” Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise said. “Their leadership is especially important as Iowa grows its commitment to science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.”
The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching are the nation’s highest honors for kindergarten through 12th grade educators of math and science.
More than 4,400 teachers from each of the 50 states and four U.S. jurisdictions have been recognized since Congress created the program in 1983. The awards are administered by the National Science Foundation on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Recognized for their contributions in the classroom and their profession, awardees are leaders in the improvement of math and science education, role models for their colleagues and inspiration to their communities.
Award recipients receive a paid trip for two to Washington, D.C., to attend recognition events and pursue professional development opportunities, a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation and a certificate signed by the president of the United States.
ABOUT ZAC CHRISTENSEN
- Second-grade teacher, 16-year teaching veteran
- Perkins Elementary School, Des Moines Public Schools
How can we get more students interested in math at a time when Iowa is working to grow its commitment to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education?
I think these seeds are planted in the elementary school. Students are not interested in learning and practicing procedures. But too many elementary math classes are still procedure-based. We must work to make solving rich problems the focus of elementary math classes. Students bring with them an inherent ability to solve problems and an inquisitive nature. We both honor and develop these characteristics by structuring our classes around solving real and challenging tasks.
As students view math class as a place whose focus is on solving problems, the effect, hopefully, will be an increase in students committed to the STEM fields, as the students continue to engage in the business of solving problems. It should be our hope that the work performed in those careers would closely match the math classes they have been taking since elementary school, in that they are presented a task, and must come up with a creative and effective solution — one that does not always present itself right away.
Why is math so important in our education system?
The challenges facing our nation and world, including those in technology security, climate, infrastructure, and energy will ultimately be solved by people with strong mathematical backgrounds. Knowing this, mathematics and the entire STEM concentration must continue to be a focus of our K-12 schools and must get even more attention, funding, and opportunities for professional development.
Do you foresee that the misperception of math being too hard will eventually disappear, and all students will take math courses?
I think the misperception that we must battle is that students are or aren’t born with an aptitude for math. This starts at home. People who were unsuccessful at math too often pass on a mindset to their children that they will not be good at math either.
In some ways, our first job as teachers is to change the mindset of our students. Our first job is to get them to believe that, “Yes! I can be a successful math student!” Once students believe in their own potential, they begin to see the fruits of their labor. They are not derailed by mistakes, and hopefully begin to view mistakes in a positive manner — that a mistake is nothing more than an opportunity to learn. To paraphrase a quote from the movie A League of Their Own, “It’s supposed to be hard. The hard is what makes it great.”
What makes for a dynamic and effective teacher?
There is no one answer as to what makes dynamic and effective teacher. I think there are consistent qualities among effective teachers and probably the most important quality is being self-aware. Good teachers know about their strengths and weaknesses, and teach in a way that highlights their strengths. Additionally, they put in effort to improve the areas that are not as strong.
The other consistent thing that I notice among effective teachers is that they are authentic. They are not pretending to be someone else. They are not afraid to display their own personality, which helps foster relationships with their students.
