In this video, 1st year Middle School Science
teacher, Mrs. Mattecheck shares her experience teaching at the Academies of
Math & Science – Flower campus.
Video Transcription:
My name is Nichole Mattecheck and I teach Middle School Science at AMS Flower.
What makes AMS Science special for me as a first-year teacher coming to AMS has had a lot of positive impacts on my teaching career. I think there’s a lot of really good like routines, structures and policies the AMS has in place that I think really help a first-year teacher to have a place to start. There is a lot of support for and that’s helped me figure out my teaching style and how I’m going to be in the classroom because I didn’t have to build it from the ground up, I had like a starting point.
For science specifically, something that is unique about AMS is that the curriculum has a structure to it and there’s a pace to it, but you can have a lot of freedom within it as well. I can implement as many labs as I want in a week which is really awesome because doing labs and being very hands-on in the science classroom is, for me, the essence of what it’s about. So having that freedom to get to do that is great and to able to adjust when my students didn’t get something, I can go back and reteach something before I move on. So not having to follow this super-strict curriculum enables you to just go with the flow of it and help your students to really master the concepts. You’re not forced to move on which is a benefit to it.
About Academies of Math & Science (AMS):
AMS has been providing award-winning STEAM curriculum throughout the state of Arizona for nearly 20 years. Our tuition-free schools provide scholars with the best educational experience in the study of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.
At AMS, we believe that through a well-rounded education, we can transform today’s scholars into tomorrow’s global visionaries.
With 9 state-of-the-art campuses in Phoenix and Tucson Arizona along with our 100% online virtual academy, AMS is providing word-class STEAM education to over 6,000 students.
Academies of Math & Science is a tuition-free open enrollment educational network. If you or someone you know would like to learn more about AMS, feel free to complete the contact form and one of our friendly and knowledgeable Enrollment Specialists would love to offer you assistance.
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“What’s incredible about AMS is its desire to constantly grow. There is never a point in time where AMS is content with where it’s at. There’s always a goal and always something to strive towards and that is a team I want to be a part of.
My name is Curtis Walker, and I am the Principal of Academy of Math and Science Flower.
Six years ago, I began my career with AMS as a teacher. I was a middle school language arts teacher and I transition from middle school language arts to an Assistant Principal position with the Camelback campus. Three years ago, was asked to become Principal and serve the community at AMS Flower and so three years ago I became the Principal at the Academy of Math and Science.
What makes AMS Flower so special and different from any other school is our sense of community. Here at AMS Flower we celebrate one another, we have a growth mindset, we look out for each other every single day and that is something that you do not find anywhere else.
Each and every day our teachers come to work, and they are happy to be here. That is something that you don’t find often when you’re talking about schools and education, especially in the midst of pandemic. And so our teachers come ready every day, happy and ready to work for our kids and ready to serve our community.
From front office, to facilities, to our paraprofessionals, to our teachers; there is a sense of collaboration, there’s a sense of community and we have each other’s backs.
Every minute matters. Every minute of instruction matters and every minute of building and fostering relationships matter here at AMS Flower. Our kids need us just as much as we need them. Our kids are special there is so much hope so much potential so much that we are looking forward to seeing all of her students on a daily basis.
Our students start with us beginning in kindergarten and they matriculate all the way through to 8th grade and that is something special within itself. What happens within those years is all on our teachers. Our teachers work their hardest every single day and commit themselves to planning lessons on a daily basis, ensuring that our students receive the highest quality of Education possible.
Along the way, there’s the integration of Technology and making sure that celebrations are happening along the way. Our teachers want to make sure that our students have every opportunity afforded to them outside of AMS Flower.”
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