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10/7/2008

Don't forget about Send My Teacher/Back to School

Over the last couple of weeks, Phil and I have been getting back into the school routine with our kids. It seems like summer just zips along, and before we know it, we’re back to waking up early, driving slowly in school zones and helping our kids with their homework around the kitchen table in the evenings. Most recently, we just finished our annual Start Smart program in San Diego that help elementary age students start the school year right with school supplies and clothing.

I’m sure many of you are busy making new lesson plans for this school year. And, I hope that each of you will apply the lessons you learned at the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy in your classrooms. When Phil and I started the Academy with our partners, ExxonMobil, the National Science Teachers Association and Math Solutions, we wanted to create a program to engage the nation’s best teachers and deepen their understanding of math and science. Four years later, we’ve been able to reach more than 1,500 teachers from across the country, and every year, identify new findings to improve math and science education.

This year has been such an exciting one for the Academy, and we’d like each of you to join us on this journey. Earlier this summer, our work to improve math and science education was recognized by congressional leaders from around the nation. Phil and I were invited to testify before the U.S. House of Representative Committee on Education and Labor about the critical role the Academy plays in improving our nation’s global standing. At the Academy, we hear the challenges many of you face in your classrooms first-hand. And it’s so refreshing to see that our work and dedication is not going unnoticed.

The Academy is designed to inspire and excite teachers like you, and we want those same emotions to captivate your students. With that, we launched www.sendmyteacher.com to give more teachers a chance to experience the Academy. I want to be the first to encourage each of you to help spread the word about the Academy to your friends, neighbors and fellow teachers. If you know an amazing colleague that didn’t have the chance to attend the Academy, you can nominate him or her for a chance to attend the Academy in 2009. The deadline for completed applications is Oct. 31, 2008, and we can’t think of any reason why anyone would want to miss this opportunity. The 2009 Academy will be at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey.

The school year has just begun, and there’s so much to be accomplished. In the meantime, remind your friends to apply today for a chance to attend the 2009 Academy, and join us in positively influencing the interests of countless students.

With our warmest regards,

Amy

Posted at 10:46 AM by amymickelson | Category: Amy's Corner | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

7/19/2008

See you soon!

The countdown is on to of my most cherished times of the year. As many of you know, this year marks the fourth year of the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, and Phil and I remain deeply committed to improving math and science education in the United States. Each year we find ourselves anticipating and remembering the unique experiences we had or will have with many of you at the Academy. In my opinion, this year will prove to be a major highlight in the Academy’s history.

I am thrilled to be the first person to share several key milestones for the Academy with you. On Monday, July 21, Phil and I will join a panel of distinguished math and science leaders from across the country for a Town Hall meeting on the current state of math and science education in the United States at the Liberty Science Center. Many of you will hear firsthand the critical steps that are being taken to return America to a competitive nation and the valuable role you play in shaping our future leaders.

The following day, Phil has been invited to testify before the House Committee on Education and Labor at a hearing titled “Innovation in Education through Business and Education STEM partnerships” in Washington D.C. on July 22. The momentum the Academy continues to garner each year amazes me. For Phil, this will be the experience of a lifetime and I am so proud to share this journey with you.

We’re less than a week away from what we are certain will be an amazing and memorable experience for each of us. And between you and me, I can hardly wait!

See you soon!

Amy

Posted at 8:26 AM by amymickelson | Category: Amy's Corner | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

4/15/2008

TIME magazine article: “How to Make Better Teachers”

Recently, I read an interesting TIME magazine article titled, “How to Make Better Teachers”. As I read through the article, I found myself thinking back to the reasons Phil and I started the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy four years ago.

Our decision to start the Academy was simple: Teachers with a deeper knowledge of their subjects are better teachers. And we recognized that a program like the Academy would help you achieve your goals in the classroom, become better teachers and inspire our future leaders.

But one of the key issues facing the education community and one that the article addresses is retaining quality teachers. The article refers to the loss of good teachers as “the leaky bucket,” which is a big problem and an issue we discussed during last year’s Town Hall meeting with Secretary Spellings. During our chat, Dr. Wheeler, executive director of the NSTA, shared his thoughts on improving teacher retention. He emphasized that we need to inspire the best and brightest teachers early in their careers so we can have an overflowing bucket of great teachers in our schools. Working together with ExxonMobil, NSTA and Math Solutions, we hope that the Academy is helping to do that.

It’s disheartening to read about new studies ranking American students lagging behind other countries. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on teachers to reverse the declining trends of our education system. Phil and I know that it can’t be done alone. We all need to appreciate, invest in and support our teachers. Because it’s teachers like you who are the solution to returning this nation to a global powerhouse.

We hope that the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy serves as a professional development resource that not only sharpens your skills in math and science education but also ignites your passion to teach for many years to come. And beyond the Academy, we hope that discussion forums like these help to extend the positive momentum from the Academy and provide ongoing support for you in the classroom. These forums are also designed to help you support each other as you share best practices from your lessons and ensure we are retaining the greatest teachers in education.

We are in this together. Let’s keep up the momentum.

Warmest regards,

Amy

Posted at 5:32 PM by amymickelson | Category: Amy's Corner | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

2/22/2008

Welcome!

It’s a pleasure to welcome each of you to my first post in Amy’s Corner. It is important to me that we have a chance to stay connected to one another beyond the time we share together at the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy.

As this year’s Academy draws near and with the launch of the new Web site, Phil and I are constantly reminded of the reasons we became advocates for math and science education – our three amazing children.

A few years ago, we gave our daughter, Amanda, the opportunity to choose what summer camp she wanted to attend. There were so many options for her to choose from, and she decided on science camp. At the time, we had no idea how this decision would impact our lives.

She ended up being the only girl at the entire camp, and had the time of her life! As a parent, it’s incredibly rewarding to see the smiles on our children’s faces as they are completely fascinated by something as simple as the ink from a squid. Phil and I knew we had to do our part to ensure teachers have the tools necessary to shape future leaders early in life.

The purpose of the Academy is to ensure key subjects like math and science are taught through innovative methods that resonate in classrooms across the country. We want all students to share the same passion our children have for these subjects.

As I look back over the last three years, I’m amazed at what the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy has accomplished. Phil and I started this program with ExxonMobil, Math Solutions and the National Science Teachers Association to give teachers like you access to new tools and resources and inspire you in math and science. What began as a one week-long Academy in Fairfax, VA has evolved to include local academies in Houston, TX and Baton Rouge, LA. And last year, we were honored to host U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings for an in-depth discussion about the state of math and science education in our schools.

We hear such great stories from teachers across the nation. Over the last three years, you have shared your enthusiasm and knowledge and have become inspirations to us. The excitement that many of you bring to the Academy is contagious and spreading to classrooms nationwide, helping to improve our nation’s overall standing in the world.

I am so proud of the hard work and creativity you add to your lessons. It is critical to engage and inspire students at an early age so that they want to learn more and more over the years. Math and science are two key areas that are oftentimes overlooked and under appreciated, but together we are changing that perception.

We have a busy year ahead, and I’m looking forward to making this year an even better year. While we are on the road, I’ll check back and share stories our family experiences with math and science. Thank you for all the hard work and your commitment to educating our future leaders. We couldn’t do this without you!

All the best,

Amy

Posted at 7:57 PM by aearly | Category: Amy's Corner | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

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