Statement of Annette Nielsen

I have been a passionate and dedicated teacher at Woods Cross High School in Woods Cross, Utah, for 29 years. I earned my BS in psychology from the University of Utah in 1997. In 2009, I received my MS in school counseling from the University of Phoenix. I have served as the social studies department chair since 2019. I began teaching psychology in 1999. As the only psychology teacher in my building, it was imperative for me to find a network of other psychology teachers to collaborate with. After becoming a part of my district’s professional learning community (PLC), I was encouraged to become a member of APA/TOPSS and our regional network, UTOPSS. I would not be the teacher that I am today without the influence of my district PLC, as well as UTOPSS.

I attended my first regional workshop for UTOPSS in the fall of 1999, and have attended almost every year since. Through this experience, I have been able to learn from amazing psychology professors and educators from across the country. I have also been given opportunities to present as a speaker and moderate breakout sessions multiple times. In 2017, I participated in the APA Summit on High School Psychology at Weber State University. I have presented at multiple workshops, including the APA Pre-convention Workshop for High School Psychology Teachers in San Francisco in 2018, the APA/APF/OSU High School Psychology Teacher Workshop in Oregon in 2022, and the Minnesota Regional Conference (MNTOPSS) in 2023.

In 2005, I became an AP Psychology reader. I have attended 20 readings since and have served as a reader, table leader, question leader, and assistant chief reader. My affiliation with AP has broadened my connection with other psychology teachers and professors. My experience with AP has also led to other opportunities that have helped me grow as a teacher of psychology, including serving as a member of the AP Psychology test development committee, the curriculum redesign committee, and as a contributor and teacher supervisor for AP Daily videos.

It would be an honor and privilege to serve as a member-at-large for TOPSS. I believe that my 29 years as an educator, as well as the opportunities that have grown from my affiliations with my regional network and AP have given me the chance to work with people from all over the country. My broad range of experiences with a diverse group of educators provides me with a unique perspective that can help me support the mission of TOPSS. I also believe that I still have a lot to learn and serving others in this capacity can only make me a better educator and advocate for the teaching of psychology.

I am enthusiastic about “promoting a deeper understanding of the scientific nature of intro and advanced high school psychology” and promoting “the highest standards in teaching of psychology both as a science and as a discipline.” Each day in my classroom, I encourage scientific thinking by helping students apply psychology research to their daily lives. Furthermore, I was a part of Strand 1: Psychology as Science at the APA Summit on High School Psychology. The work of our strand forged a path to help teachers promote scientific thinking in their classrooms using lab templates and primary source documents. I would love to continue this mission and help teachers feel comfortable marrying their social studies knowledge with the scientific practices of psychology.

Because of the tremendous support that my local and regional networks have given me since 1999, I feel an obligation to pay it forward and “facilitate networking” through the development and support of regional networks throughout the country. I would love to help teachers become connected with resources TOPSS has to offer, as well as find ways to conference, collaborate, and learn from each other.

As a lifelong learner, I would be grateful to be given the opportunity to support the TOPSS mission to “promote professional development and other means for lifelong learners” and help other teachers feel the support locally and nationally that I have benefited from since 1999.