APS TEACHER HONORED
Randy Martin is one of 10 finalists for 2017 award
Randy Martin, New Mexico’s History Teacher of the Year, is a finalist for the 2017 national award.
Albuquerque teacher Randy Martin, New Mexico’s History Teacher of the Year, has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2017 National History Teacher of the Year.
The national winner, to be announced next month, will put the honoree’s hometown and state in the national spotlight, as that teacher will serve as the nationwide ambassador for students and teachers on quality U.S. history education, organizers said in a news release.
Martin, a teacher at Desert Ridge Middle School in Albuquerque, is credited with creating an environment where his students interact hands-on with history.
“Enabling students to be able to understand how to distinguish reality from false information using primary sources has become the most critical skill that should be taught in the social studies classroom,” Martin said in a statement.
In 2015, Martin was named a TIG/APS Education Foundation Innovation Award winner for incorporating technology into his lessons. He said he values technology for its content, strategies, projects, perspectives and student motivation it can provide, according to a story on the APS website. He built a 12by 8-foot interactive whiteboard that can be manipulated by phone, tablet or PC into a wall of his classroom. Students also can access the board via apps, posting questions, collaborating on projects and interacting with the content of the board on their own devices.
The winner of the National History Teacher of the Year award receives a $10,000 prize, presented by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Eric Foner at a ceremony in New York City on Nov. 8, 2017. Past presenters at the ceremony include the Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor, Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts, First Lady Laura Bush, former US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The National History Teacher of the Year Award is presented annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, a leading organization dedicated to K-12 American history education.
“Knowledgeable and impassioned teachers bring our country’s history to life for students, allowing them to understand engaging with history is about more than a series of facts,” said James G. Basker, President of the institute. “Teachers are the lifeblood of our students’ education and these are the best of the best.”
The 13-year-old History Teacher of the Year Award highlights the crucial importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers from elementary school through high school. The award honors one K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and US Territories, organizers said.
Nominations for the 2018 History Teacher of the Year awards are now open. Students, parents, colleagues and supervisors may nominate K-12 teachers for the award by visiting gilderlehrman.org/nhtoy. The deadline for 2018 nominations is March 30. We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com.