Doctoral student in running for NEA Teacher of the Year

Trent Daniel, a doctoral student in the Department of Educational Administration and Policy, has been named the Florida Education Association’s Teacher of the Year for 2006. She awaits the results of the National Education Association’s Teacher of the Year award for which she made it into the top-five finalists of nominees from each state.

“The nominees are judged based on ability to teach diversity and the community,” Daniel said.

In June, Daniel visited Washington, D.C., where she was asked to teach a 20-minute lesson for five judges. Like any good teacher under pressure, Daniel got creative, asking the judges to role-play as ions in a lesson about atoms and electrical charges.

“Using a water gun, I taught them how atoms become ions, and I had the five people on the panel act out being an ion,” Daniel said.

Daniel worked to create the science department at Seminole County’s Hagerty High School, and she now serves as the department’s chairperson as well as a chemistry teacher. Daniel is also is involved in grant writing and has worked on professional training development.

She will return to D.C. in February when the results for the NEA award are announced. The winner receives $35,000 and serves as the NEA’s spokesperson for one year.