White River Junction, VT - Mathematics
The Presidential Award recognizes the efforts of many people who have contributed to this successful milestone in an ongoing educational journey that I started at an early age. It is a testimony to many educators, parents, and students who have shaped and influenced my teaching practices. Their encouragement, support, and challenges coupled with my desire to affect the lives of children have enabled me to achieve this award. It is an honor and a privilege to accept this award on their behalf.
Mrs. Newton's carefully planned lessons require students to engage in problem-solving and skill practice. She checks in with students in the various classroom centers, challenging them to ask questions and take their inquiries to the next level. She is a master at making sure that each child understands the mathematics behind the projects and activities that students work on and uses a variety of assessment techniques to determine each student's skills and knowledge.
For several years, Mrs. Newton has worked with the Vermont Mathematics Partnership as a member of the Ongoing Assessment Project (OGAP) Design Team. As a member of this team, she was part of a group that gathered cognitive research on how students learn mathematics concepts related to fractions, additive reasoning, and multiplicative reasoning. In support of this work, she helped develop materials to assess student learning formatively. She also contributed to the development of a presentation to inform educators of the importance of formative assessments and the use of OGAP materials.
In 2005 the Vermont Mathematics Partnership recommended Mrs. Newton to represent OGAP's work for the U.S. Department of Education (ED) Teacher Training Corps. As a result of that work, she was selected by ED to meet with U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings to discuss mathematics achievement and professional development needs.
Mrs. Newton has a B.A. in elementary education from Johnson State College and an M.Ed. from the University of Vermont. She is certified in kindergarten through sixth grade elementary education.
