Good News About Polk County Public Schools

“First, I would have to say my favorite teacher was my mother, because she helped me to understand what I did not understand in the classroom,” says Dr. Antionette Wilcox, this year’s Charles Harper Economic Educator of the Year.  In her classroom Dr. Wilcox tries to find the balance between teaching life lessons and the fundamentals of economics. She is a proponent of project-learning, an educational technique in which students are given real-world problems to solve. When students leave her classroom, she hopes they’ve become better at working on teams, are better critical thinkers and more creative. She hopes these are skill sets they will carry with them throughout a lifetime.

The Crystal Lake Middle teacher has been a leader in the field of economics and personal finance for more than 30 years. She is also a mentor and instructor to her peers. She’s contributed economic projects to the National Economics Council since 1987 and has been heavily involved in the development of similar projects in Polk County.

The Charles Harper Economic Educator of the Year Award honors recipients for their contribution to improving economic education on a broader scale throughout their school district. She was also honored for distinguishing herself as an award winning teacher who has steadfastly provided economic education to her students over the many years.

She regularly pushes herself to grow and develop as an educator. The next skill set she says she wants to add to her repertoire is brain-based learning. Dr. Wilcox continues, “I am interested in various ways to optimize learning in the classroom by activating different parts of the brain.”

The Florida Council on Economic Education (FCEE) and Publix Super Markets Charities announced the award winner during the 33^rd Annual Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching Economics event. The ceremony was held on May 11 at the House of Blues in Orlando.

Winners from Polk County included:

First Place in Project Based Categories
Bethany Lynch, Churchwell Elementary, Lakeland
Linda Mobley, Bethune Academy, Haines City

Second Place in Project Based Categories
Dr. Antionette Wilcox, Crystal Lake Middle, Lakeland
Melissa Anne Konkol, Gause Academy, Bartow

Third Place in Project Based Categories
Stephanie Jen, Lake Alfred Addair Middle, Lake Alfred
Theresa McCawley, Lake Shipp Elementary, Winter Haven

For a full listing of this year’s winners please visit the Florida Council on Economic Education website:
http://www.fcee.org/

Pictured: Dr. Wilcox at the podium