MSU student teacher Meghan Callahan was awarded second place and MSU student teacher Lisa Phillips was awarded third place in the statewide competition.

MATE is the state unit of the nationwide group the Association of Teacher Educators, an organization promoting professional growth and development of teachers.

Phillips graduated from MSU in 2007 and then worked a full-time student teacher job at Le Baron Elementary School in Pontiac School District for one full year, she said.

She said the MSU professors care about their students and prepare them well for internships.

“I think MSU does a really great job of getting (student teachers) into placements early on,” Phillips said. “By my sophomore year I was in the classroom — if not teaching, observing.”

Every year, MATE accepts submissions from student teachers from all over Michigan, said Tim Larrabee, president of MATE. In the past, submissions have totaled more than 100, but this year there were about 30, he said.

Phillips said she applied last fall after her mentor teacher told her about the competition.

Applicants submit a written lesson plan and a 30-minute video of themselves teaching the lesson, Phillips said. The video must also include a short introduction to the lesson and a self-critique of their performance, she said.

For her award-winning lesson, Phillips said she received a grant which supplied her classroom of 14 fourth-graders and 14 fifth-graders with six laptops and four digital cameras, to be returned after two months.

The students used the digital cameras and laptops to create digital stories based on tall tales they wrote, she said.

“None of them had ever touched a laptop before,” she said. “Just watching them learn how to do things on their own and seeing the looks of excitement on their faces is exciting for a teacher.”

Submissions are judged on three main criteria: knowledge base, performance and personal critique, Larrabee said.

“We’re really proud whenever one of our graduates wins an award,” said Suzanne Wilson, chairwoman of the Department of Teacher Education.

Wilson said their department is fortunate in that they receive a lot of great applicants, and MSU’s teacher education program helps to make them even better.

“We just get good people to apply,” she said. “In addition, we have the fifth year requirement. That program increases the likelihood that they’ll be quality beginning teachers.”

MATE has been around for approximately 30 years and has a board of about 19 members, who represent the entire state, Larrabee said.

“Our goal is really just to improve teaching in Michigan,” he said. “We’re a pretty well connected statewide.”

Phillips said she was notified of her award at the end of April and was surprised to hear the news.

“I didn’t really expect it at all,” she said. “It was great to hear that they liked my lesson — it was better to hear that the kids liked it, though.”