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What did winning the 2024 RFK Education Award mean to you?
Awards are a great recognition, and it probably means just as much to know who nominated me and why they nominated me, and what they were thinking. Because obviously, the biggest accolade that I could get is my students saying “you did a good job,” or “we enjoy this class,” or “we feel like we're learning.” It's such an honor, and I'm thankful, and I'm grateful. The best honor is that student feedback that you're doing a great job in making this worth our time and our effort.
What's the most fulfilling part of your job?
It's a huge responsibility. It's a huge trust that the public and most specifically, parents, put on teachers. I spend 180 days with the same kid. That time is not lost on me, just the amount of growth that takes place for a 15 to 18 year old person over 180 days. The most fulfilling part is just seeing somebody grow up and watching them change and iterate and make different decisions. It's a constant reminder to me of what it was like to be in high school. But it's also really powerful to be a firsthand observer of that process. The most fulfilling part is watching kids and helping kids grow, both academically and personally, as they've gone through that.
What are your hopes for this upcoming academic year?
I always make goals–how am I hoping to grow and change as a teacher? This particular year, I have a handful of students that I'll have for the second year in a row, so that's really meaningful. It’s easier for me to even judge myself in terms of how their learning is going: what I can pay attention to, to how they're changing in their writing and their thinking and the critical ways in which they interact with the world around them. I'm looking forward to that critical piece: how are we as a class, students and teacher, willing to put ourselves out there in terms of the way that we're thinking about how the world is changing in front of us, and moving in front of us, and that discussion. Then, that discussion leading to better academic work, but also just meaningful and memorable experiences within the classroom.