Long Island Represent! Patty Mueller and Michael Smith named 2026 PhysTEC Teachers of the year. I would like to brag about how we work with the best teachers EVER! We do. Not just Patty and Michael either. https://phystec.org/awards/teacher-of-the-year/all/

But I do want to laser focus on Ms. Patty Mueller today. Talk about some one who makes a difference in her community. You think ok, this teacher is just a good teacher. But then you don’t see the extra mile that she goes everyday.

1. She has the cart of stuffies. Students can come and get a stuffie whenever they want to. The students love it. They are so cute (students, stuffies, all the above). And it makes the students feel like they belong. That is a physics teacher!!!!!!!!!!

2. Ms. Mueller is the coach of more than one high school team. Check out: https://www.facebook.com/OneWestbury/posts/at-last-nights-board-of-education-meeting-the-westbury-varsity-boys-swim-team-wa/1175460904588737/ (featured image taken from this site)

3. Patty is the team Captain for Cosmic Pathways. She gets things done. And when she was planning conferences for APS you could see she was there doing amazing things too! Go Patty!

Patty Mueller, our partner at Westbury HS, made the APSNews!

You Are Not Alone: Developing & Nurturing K-12 Partnerships