Woman named top teacher
Published: July 7, 2005
An Edmond elementary teacher has been recognized as the top American history instructor in Oklahoma by an initiative created by the Bush administration.
Amy Schulke, a fifth-grade teacher at Chisholm Elementary School since 1990, has been named as Oklahoma’s winner of the “Preserve America History Teacher of the Year Award.” Schulke will receive a plaque and a $1,000 cash award.
One teacher from each state, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories are selected to receive the award each year. Finalists for the “National Preserve America History Teacher of the Year” award will be selected at a later date from among state award winners.
David Goin, Edmond Public Schools superintendent, said Schulke has long been recognized for her contributions to excellence in social studies education, the focus of which is U.S. history.
“We consider the award a significant professional honor for Mrs. Schulke and celebrate her accomplishment as a school district and community,” Goin said.
When Schulke learned that she had won the award, she said she was surprised. The award is a kindergarten through 12th grade award. In similar competition, elementary school teachers usually don’t do too well against the upper grades, Schulke said.
“I truly love American history,” she said. “It’s about people’s lives. When you read about John Adams or Abraham Lincoln, they just did the best that they could.”
Schulke said as a youngster she was fortunate to have parents who liked to travel often.
Family travel destinations usually included locations relevant to American history, she said. Schulke also credits her husband, Dwight, whom she said enjoys traveling and has a strong sense of history.
Elementary-age children have a different concept of history, Schulke said. They have to be taught that heroes didn’t become famous overnight, she said.
American history is one of Schulke’s favorite subjects to teach.
Her method is to be a storyteller, which helps students understand that famous historical figures were alive.
Another aspect of history is that it can teach children how to analyze documents and how to gauge opinion, separate fact from fiction, Schulke said.
Those skills can be used throughout life in understanding propaganda and advertising, for example.
Chisholm Elementary School administrators always have been supportive of her efforts to teach social studies and American history, Schulke said.
Parent teacher organizations helped by purchasing costumes for Revolutionary War characters, she said.
Schulke said the date for her to receive the award has not been set.
Formal EPS recognition is planned for the Aug. 1 Board of Education meeting, Goin said.
The Oklahoma Department of Education forwarded Schulke’s application for the national award, which will be presented in October.
Edmond Public Schools’ social studies curriculum coordinator Pam Merrill nominated Schulke for the award.
The Bush Administration initiated the Preserve America History Teacher of the Year award two years ago in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute to honor the nation’s best American history teachers.
If you enjoyed this good news Subscribe to Good News Blog
Share this
To share this simply copy and paste one of the below URL's: