H-K Teacher One of Two Finalists for Prestigious Award

In the minds of her students, Haddam Killingworth High School math teacher Angela Miller should be a shoe-in for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching.

Miller, a 13-year veteran at HKHS, is one of two state finalists for the prestigious award which recognizes outstanding K-12 teachers for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession.

"Mrs. Miller was the best teacher that I have ever encountered in my time at HK," says Class of 2009 graduate Casey Scully. "There were times during AP Calculus that I thought I was not going to make it. But every time tears welled up in my eyes, frustrated and thinking I was not smart enough, Mrs. Miller was there to encourage me.

"She would spend countless lunches explaining formulas over and over again, always with a smile on her face," recalls the junior at Northeastern University. "She went to the nth degree to ensure every single one of her students not only succeeds, but believes in her or himself."

Miller was nominated for the award by math department head Wendy Adamczyk. Since 1983, more than 4,000 teachers have been recognized for their contributions to mathematics and science education. 

"Angie is one of our unsung heroes," says Adamczyk. "She is always willing to go the extra mile for her students. She is continually researching new techniques or ways to use technology in her classroom and then shares that with teachers in other departments. She will do anything to give the students a better experience."

Class of 2011 graduate Alison Potts agrees.

"I have never gained more out of a math class than I did in her classroom. It is so rare to find a teacher who has 'the whole package', but Mrs. Miller has exactly that," Potts says.

"One of the things that sets Mrs. Miller apart from other teachers is how she can come up with endless teaching methods because some students get it in one way and others need to hear it or see it differently," Potts wrote in a letter of recommendation for Miller.

Potts recalls a time when Miller went to Dunkin Donuts and bought 50 doughnuts for three of her classes and incorporated the treats into a lesson plan which the students were able to grasp because the concept became real. The doughnuts were an incentive, says Potts, and at the end of class the students earned their reward.

Using technology in the classroom also helps engage the students in a way that is meaningful to them, says Miller, who  teachers AP Calculus, Algebra I and II and pre-Algebra. Students in her classes are allowed to use their cell phones "but only as an instructional tool," she stresses. The cell phones are used as an assessment tool, she says. The students respond to questions by using text messaging which is shared with the entire class so everyone can see each other's answers.

Still, Miller doesn't feel like she's doing anything special.

"I don't feel that I am doing anything out of the ordinary. I am just being who I am," she says. "I like school.  I like learning and I like sharing what I learn.

"This a huge honor," she adds. "Even being nominated is amazing to me. We have excellent teachers here at Haddam Killingworth High School who are always willing to put themselves out there for their students," she says. "I am no different than the rest of them."

Although Miller and the other state finalist will be honored at a reception in Hartford this fall, they will both have to wait until next spring to learn which of them will receive the national award.

The Presidential Awards are given to mathematics and science teachers from each of the 50 states and four U.S. jurisdictions; Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Department of Defense Schools and the U.S. territories as a group (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).