It's awards season—nominate a teacher or leader today!

We’re not just talking about the Grammys and the Oscars—this is the season to think about mathematics teaching and leadership awards, too! There are three awards for you to consider, two from CCTM and one from the United States government.

CCTM Mathematics Teaching Award

CCTM recognizes up to one K-6 and one 6-12 teacher from each CCTM region who displays excellence in teaching mathematics. Nominations are due March 5, 2019. Nominees will be sent applications which must be returned by May 15. Awardees receive a plaque, $200, a one-year CCTM membership, and registration to the 2019 Annual Conference. See here for all eligibility requirements and click here for the nomination form.

CCTM Mathematics Leadership Award

CCTM honors individuals who contribute to mathematics education but do not have full-time classroom responsibilities, such as coordinators, administrators, or higher education personnel dedicated to improving mathematics learning in school districts. Nominations are due March 5, 2019. Nominees will be sent applications which must be returned by May 15. Awardees receive a plaque, $200, a one-year CCTM membership, and registration to the 2019 Annual Conference. See here for all eligibility requirements and click here for the nomination form.

Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST)

The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are the highest honors bestowed by the United States government specifically for K-12 mathematics and science teaching (including computer science and engineering). Established by Congress in 1983, the President may recognize up to 108 exemplary teachers each year. Recipients of the award receive a certificate signed by the President of the United States, a paid trip to Washington, D.C. to attend a series of events and professional development, and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation. State finalists receive a certificate and registration to the 2019 CCTM Annual Conference. The deadline for PAEMST nominations is March 1 and the deadline for PAEMST applications is May 1. For more information, see www.paemst.org.

Speak at the 2019 CCTM Annual Conference

Energize your peers by speaking at the 2019 CCTM Annual Conference! To submit a proposal, the process is simple: create a title, a 2-5 sentence description, and indicate the audience you’d like to reach. Proposals must be submitted by Friday, March 15. Do it today!

This year’s annual conference will again be held during late summer, just in time to engage educators in professional development before the start of the 2019-2020 school year. The dates for this year’s conference are Monday and Tuesday, July 29-30.

By speaking at this year’s conference, you will empower others with the knowledge, wisdom, and connections to be better teachers of mathematics. You’ll join our keynote speaker, Max Ray-Riek from Illustrative Mathematics, who is the author of Powerful Problem Solving and is formerly of the Math Forum. Other speakers include the leaders of our Monday workshops, Melissa Boston and Sara VanDerWerf. Melissa Boston is a Professor at Duquesne University and is co-author of the Taking Action series and the Principles to Action Toolkit. Sara VanDerWerf is a math consultant, a 25-year veteran educator in Minneapolis Public Schools, and the former president of the Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

We encourage you to submit a speaker proposal, even if you’ve never presented before. The CCTM Annual Conference is the perfect place for coming together, sharing ideas, and getting feedback from peers who want to learn from each other. Regardless if your ideas are tested and true or fresh and fearless, we want to hear them! Speakers chosen for this year’s program will be notified by May 1.

Save the Date for the 2019 CCTM Annual Conference!

The CCTM Board of Directors is excited to announce that our annual conference will be held at the University of Denver on July 29-30, 2019. Please note—that’s a Monday and Tuesday! Be on the lookout for more information regarding keynote speakers, speaker proposals, and professional learning opportunities to maximize your experience at the conference.

Friday@CCTM18: What to Expect

Are you ready for a day packed with a keynote, sessions, exhibits, and learning from and with other teachers of mathematics? Do yourself a favor and arrive early. Your best bet is to take the RTD Light Rail and skip the need to park. If you need to drive, you can park in Lot L at University Avenue and Asbury. All the details about getting to the conference are available on our conference information page. Once you go to campus, head towards the Ritchie Center and look for the signs and CCTM volunteers to help direct you to registration where you can pick up your badge.

CCTM President Joanie Funderburk will open things on Friday by introducing the keynote, and then lead sessions of her own at 10:45 (about Colorado HS standards), 12:45 (about language routines), and 3:15 (about mathematical modeling).

Thursday workshop leader Dr. Julia Aguirre will lead a session on Friday at 9:30 about engaging families in math education.

The welcome and keynote starts bright and early at 8:00. Our speaker, Andrew Stadel, has a brand new talk for us focused on getting students involved in conversations about mathematical sensemaking. The rest of the morning includes Sessions 2 and 3. Some presentations are in the Ritchie Center, but most are in Sturm Hall, about a block to the south. It's going to be a beautiful day, so enjoy the time outside!

The 2018 CCTM Annual Conference wouldn't happen without the dedication of our two conference co-chairs, Liz Zitterkopf and Tracy Seremak.

If you see conference program co-chair Jen Overley, thank her for putting together a great slate of sessions!

At 11:45 you'll have a full hour to visit the exhibit hall and eat lunch in the Ritchie Center. If you reserved a box lunch, you can pick it up here. The afternoon packs in Sessions 4, 5, and 6, again with some presentations in the Ritchie Center and the rest in Sturm Hall. To close the day, gather again at the Ritchie Center for some Ignite talks, an update from CDE, some prizes, and brief closing remarks.

Thursday@CCTM18: What to Expect

This year, the CCTM Annual Conference gets underway on Thursday at 3:00 at the Cable Center on the University of Denver campus with Dr. Julia Aguirre's workshop "Teaching Math Strong." To get there, either take the RTD Light Rail to University of Denver Station, take a bus, or drive and find metered parking along Buchtel Boulevard or a nearby street. For maps, see our conference information page.

The Cable Center

Following the workshop ending at 5:30, take a break outside and enjoy some refreshments as we prepare for the awards ceremony. If you're only coming on Thursday for the awards, we should be ready for you by 5:00. The award ceremony will begin at the Cable Center at 5:45 and last for about an hour.

To cap off the evening, make your way to 65 Broadway in Denver for some fun, food, and refreshments at Punch Bowl Social. If you're in town for the NCSM Summer Leadership Academy, MAA Mathfest, or if you just want to hang out with some math educators, you're all welcome to join in this social event. Andrew Stadel, our keynote speaker, and Julia Aguirre, our workshop leader, will both be there, along with other math education VIPs who want to get to know you better. We'll see you there!