Every year, the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is awarded to teachers across the United States; a total of 110 teachers who work in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are honored. Michele Koehler, the teacher for AP Biology, Honors Biology, and Anatomy and Physiology classes at Riverside Brookfield High School, was awarded the PAEMST.
The PAEMST was created by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and is the highest honor a STEM teacher can receive in the United States. The individual who nominated Koehler for this award remains anonymous since the recommendation is able to come from a range of people.
“When it comes down to it, this is an award given through the government. It’s like a national award given through the president and the NSF. Individuals get nominated for the award, and we don’t always know who nominated you,” Koehler said. “It could be a colleague. It could be a former student. It could be someone I just have interacted with outside of the classroom because I do a lot of professional development leading; I have no idea.”
The professional development that Koehler works on involves assisting in writing the science curriculum for the College Board Pre-AP Biology program. In addition, Koehler has committed to writing and presenting several articles for the science website, such as HHMI Biointeractive. The honor of being a PAEMST awardee and finalist has led Koehler to feel many emotions.
“I was shocked, excited, ecstatic, happy, all of the above. Like I said, it’s such an honor to know I was nominated initially and then just to have made it to the top three for the state of Illinois,” Koehler said.
Not only does the award look for the series of responses that each candidate answers about their knowledge in their science field, but it also looks for the leadership that each nominee applies in their classroom. Koehler displayed her leadership within the school and her communication with peers and students, leading to her current position as a top candidate for the state of Illinois.
“It’s not just you in the classroom. It’s also you as a leader in your science field. From that, you have to think about when you do things outside of the classroom and if you’re there to help other teachers get to where you’re at,” Koehler said.
Along the journey of the application process, Koehler spent time writing, presenting, and understanding the purpose of how she educates and why she does it.
“Even just being a finalist is amazing. I thought that it was awesome just to be nominated. I never really thought I would make it this far. This is one of the highest honors that any STEM teacher can get in K-12,” Koehler said. “Just to be in the top three in the state of Illinois is such an honor. So, if I make it on to being the one that is going to represent Illinois science, great. If not, then I am still so proud. I learned a lot about what I do and why I do it.”
