Awarded teacher rewards her students

Catherine McAtee, third grade teacher at Hanna Elk Mountain (HEM) Elementary, was named one of ten winners of the 2015 Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Award, granting her statewide recognition. With the money that she won, she took students on a trip to the Denver Zoo where they learned about diverse climates and were able to go inside the pachyderm exhibit. In addition to the trip, she donated a pottery kiln to the school. McAtee decided to give back to the school instead of spending it on herself.

She has 28 years of teaching experience, though things might have turned out differently. When she was applying to colleges, she won a scholarship to a private arts school due to her skill in pottery. The kiln that McAtee donated to Hanna Elementary will give students a chance to experience one of the things that she loves most. Although they don’t have a pottery wheel, the students will still be able to make different kinds of pottery. The kiln will be ready to use in the fall.

McAtee was nominated for the award by students, and she had letters of recommendation written by two other teachers and her principal. “My teaching philosophy is to create an insatiable thirst for life-long learning,” McAtee is quoted in a press release by Arch Coal. “The teacher must encourage each child to envision the possibility of his or her own greatness and ignite a fire for learning. Recognizing talents and abilities, instruction should be specifically designed or ‘differentiated’ to address each child’s needs, ensuring that they are challenged academically and successful at the same time.”

This is not McAtee’s first award. According to the Arch Coal press release, she has twice received the state of Wyoming award from the National Science Foundation Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science (PAESMT). She won the 2006 national PAESMT, with a $10,000 cash award and a Presidential Citation from President George W. Bush. McAtee was awarded the $8,000 Toyota TIME Grant (Teachers Integrating Math into Education) and she is a past Arch Coal Golden Apple recipient.