Teachers who are nominated for Teacher Excellence Awards demonstrate the following evidence:
• Exemplary teaching characteristics including subject-matter competence, enthusiasm for teaching,
sensitivity to student learning needs, and good communication skills.
• An understanding of technology education as basic education for all students.
• Sustained professional growth in technology education and in the art of teaching.
• Ability to engage students in a hands-on/minds-on approach to learning about technology.
• Ability to foster curiosity and generate excitement about learning to understand and apply technology
concepts and practices.
• A conviction that all students should and can learn about technology and apply its principles in
everyday life.
• An understanding of the relationships between technology and other areas of study in the school.
• An experimental and innovative attitude in their approach to teaching.
• Professional involvement and leadership.
All awardees for the Teacher Excellence Award must:sensitivity to student learning needs, and good communication skills.
• An understanding of technology education as basic education for all students.
• Sustained professional growth in technology education and in the art of teaching.
• Ability to engage students in a hands-on/minds-on approach to learning about technology.
• Ability to foster curiosity and generate excitement about learning to understand and apply technology
concepts and practices.
• A conviction that all students should and can learn about technology and apply its principles in
everyday life.
• An understanding of the relationships between technology and other areas of study in the school.
• An experimental and innovative attitude in their approach to teaching.
• Professional involvement and leadership.
• Must be a full-time professional employee of the school division.
• Have a full-time elementary school teaching position in a public or private school.
• Have taught elementary school technology education units or activities for at least two years prior to
nomination.
• Must be recognized by the school's administration as being worthy of recognition as an outstanding
teacher.
• Is a current member of the VTEA and ITEA at the time of receiving the award and has been a
member of both associations for the previous year.
• Have a full-time elementary school teaching position in a public or private school.
• Have taught elementary school technology education units or activities for at least two years prior to
nomination.
• Must be recognized by the school's administration as being worthy of recognition as an outstanding
teacher.
• Is a current member of the VTEA and ITEA at the time of receiving the award and has been a
member of both associations for the previous year.
• Exemplify excellence in teaching.
• Teach activities or units of instruction that would be considered good technology education using
state or national standards.
• Be committed to continuing professional development.
• Contribute to the profession through on-going service.
• Teach activities or units of instruction that would be considered good technology education using
state or national standards.
• Be committed to continuing professional development.
• Contribute to the profession through on-going service.
Janis was chosen as Virginia's 2006 Teacher Excellence Award for Elementary School. She will be presenting a program entitled Children’s Engineering — It Really Works! at the 69th Annual International Technology Education Association Conference in San Antonio, Texas, on March 16, 2007. She serves as Secretary for the ITEA affiliate Technology Education for Children Council and is on the Editorial Board for the elementary journal "Technology and Children." In August she will become President of the Virginia Children's Engineering Council. This council is instrumental in getting information about design technology to elementary educators through the Children's Engineering Convention, inservices and workshops, and courses offered through JMU.
Congratulations, Janis!
Janis is shown here with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Billy K. Cannaday, Jr. and MES Principal Dr. Bill Rauss
When it comes to learning, we click!