M(arianne) DeMarco
I always think of my uncle, Luke. A high school English teacher of over 50 years, he has dealt with ALL OF IT and has somehow maintained such a giving, benevolent spirit. How? How did…
Community Members
Mia X. Pérez
I am grateful to come from a long line of educators who have positively impacted by life. I attended an alternative public high school that centered social justice and student-centered practices. Having the freedom to…
James Nikopoulos
Mr. Sassenberg. 11th grade English. You’ve probably encountered a version of a Mr. Sassenberg in a film or novel. He filled his classroom with props and transformed his lesson plans into performances. When we got…
Anna Pinkas
When I think of joy and kindness in teaching, I think of my 7th grade Latin teacher. The subject was not a popular one amongst my peers (I secretly loved it – although I pretended…
Francesco Bongiovanni
When I think of the ancestors who lift me up in my teaching I immediately think of my late friend Arnold. Arnold was an elderly man who I unexpectedly met at a recreational center. I…
Laura Diaz Alarcon
The love for learning has been in my family for generations, but the most significant influence has come from both of my parents. They inspired me through storytelling and by modeling their own behaviors. My…
Celeste Conway
One of my ancestors of wisdom and heart is a student whom I’ll call N.K. He was in my Introduction to Literature class in 2015, and I still smile when I think of him. He…
jean amaral
Two of my pedagogical ancestors are Paolo Freire and bell hooks, both of who showed me the way out of the banking model of education that I had come through. hooks especially challenges me to…
