PAEMST

We are here to support you during these last two months as you work on your remaining application components prior to the deadline of February 6, 2022. If you need assistance or encouragement with your application, or simply want the opportunity to ask questions about certain components, be sure to register for an upcoming applicant webinar, reach out to us, or contact the PAEMST helpdesk at info@paemst.org.

Being recognized as a PAEMST awardee is a tremendous honor. Awardees receive a certificate signed by the President; a trip to Washington, D.C.; a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation (NSF); and join a prestigious cadre of awardees from across the country.

To provide support, we are including some general suggestions and advice from past awardees and judges,  guidance on the written narrative, and upcoming webinars to help you finish strong!

Preparing the Presidential Award Application

Advice from past awardees and judges about preparing the application:

• Work with colleagues and mentors with whom you can strategize, bounce off ideas and review your writing. There are past awardees who are eager to help. Contact the state coordinator or PAEMST for help.
• Show that you are reflective. Your thinking and growth is more important than a long list of activities and accomplishments.
• Start uploading sections of your narrative as you complete items. You can continue to edit and replace items until you hit the final Submit button.
• Be certain to follow exactly the guidelines on length, font, spacing, etc.
• Contact the PAEMST helpdesk with any questions, (e.g. video format, responses to questions, citations, etc.). They are very responsive. info@paemst.org, 1-800-209-6327

Video suggestions

• Have the video demonstrate your skill at teaching. This does not mean it has to be a lecture, but the video should show your interaction with the students and how you help them learn the concepts and skills. A video with only lab activities may not show your role in the learning as well as including some discussion.
• The class you record does not have to be perfect. Reviewers expect to see how you respond to discipline issues and disturbances in classes.
• Try to have good sound on the video so that the reviewers can hear your discussion with students. If it is hard to pick up the speech you could supply a transcript in the supplemental materials.
• You may need to record several classes to get a good video. Upload it early in the application process to cover for technical problems. Note the requirements about breaks.
• Since the video is limited to 30 minutes, describe in your narrative the activities and discussions that precede and follow the video.
• You may have one break in the video. So you could show the lesson introduction and the start of an activity, have a break, and then show the summary of the lesson. In your narrative you should describe what happened during the break.

Attributes of Great Presidential Applications (from brainstorming by reviewers)
These are ideas that often go beyond the requirements of the PAEMST application document and make the application advance from good to outstanding:

• Write in a claims and evidence style. Make the claim that you are doing great things (instruction, assessment, etc.) and provide the evidence to support that claim.
• Video and supplemental materials support the claims in the narrative.
• The focus in your narrative should be on the learning of the students and not just the mechanics of instruction.
• In your narrative, provide citations of supporting evidence in the video (e.g. time marks), supplemental materials, and other application materials.
• Provide citations of literature that support claims in the application.

Upcoming PAEMST Webinars

We encourage you to keep the momentum going and register for an upcoming webinar.

PAEMST webinars will provide you with a detailed overview of the application process and the opportunity to ask questions. Webinars may focus on a specific section of the application, such as the video component, or be general in nature. To register for a webinar, or to view the full schedule, nominees can visit www.paemst.org/webinar.

Narrative Portion

Before starting your response, be sure to review each of the five dimensions in the Written Response template. You don’t need to enter your Written Response into the portal all at once. Instead, we recommend drafting and editing your answers in a separate document first, then copying and pasting your response into each text box. Remember, the total allowable character count for the response is 27,500 characters, including spaces. Additionally, special characters or images cannot be pasted into the text boxes. Please review the application packet for a full list of technical requirements for your Written Response.

• Answer all parts of each question and don’t forget to edit. You can’t get credit for what you don’t do. Answer all parts completely and concisely and have someone else edit your work and grade it according to the four-point scoring scale.
• Be honest and reflective. Teaching is a craft that we are constantly developing. We strive for perfection, but we aren’t perfect. Being a reflective practitioner is a characteristic of effective teaching. Remember, this process is about you sharing the amazing things you do in the classroom every day. Don’t try to be who you think the panelists want you to be. Be your authentic self.  
• Use your supplemental materials wisely. This is your opportunity to demonstrate the awesome teaching and learning experiences that take place every day in your classroom. Supplementary materials can take several forms including pictures (with labels) of labs, hands-on activities, field experiences, and other engaging STEM activities.
• Refer to the Guidance for the Narrative Portion. This document was created by past reviewers, state finalists and national awardees to support future applicants. It provides guiding questions to help you craft a response for each Dimension.