Teachers Who Show H.E.A.R.T

By: Mia Picciuca

This Valentines day over 400 students recognized teachers who show H.E.A.R.T (Helpful, Engaging, and Relevant Teaching). In order to promote teacher appreciation, Wheaton North’s instructional coaching group worked together to create the H.E.A.R.T project. When they set out to create this idea, they intended it to specifically include the students' perspectives. In order to collect nominations, Mrs. Moodie posted a google form for students to fill out. As the responses rolled in, she was surprised to see how many students participated: “I was so impressed with the students. I thought there were going to be like 40 students…not 400!” When she looked through the responses, Mrs. Moodie noticed that students appreciated teachers who really made sure that they felt seen and heard.

Over 120 different staff members were mentioned, and every single one of them received a note and candy on Valentines day to let them know they were nominated. Additionally, they placed all of the kind messages around the main office for people to see! As the responses were reviewed, it was noticed that specifically Mrs. Martin, Ms. Cohen, and Mr. Mazzone each were continuously and thoughtfully recognized. In honor of that, the three teachers received a few extra goodies, and they were mentioned in the Wednesday announcements.

When reflecting on her reaction to the nominations, Mrs. Martin expressed that, “I was completely filled with joy when the administrators and instructional coaches came into my room and honored me with a HEART certificate, flowers, and a fruit bouquet. But, after my heart stopped beating and everyone left, I became even more full of joy because the students are the ones who wrote the nice comments. This is a moment in my teaching career that I will always remember and cherish. I have the greatest students and they mean the world to me. I want to thank every one of them from the bottom of my heart.” Additionally Ms. Cohen noted that, “I was humbled reading the notes from my students. It made my day to know that I have made a positive impact at Wheaton North. I could tell from the first day of school watching the interactions between students and faculty that this was a special place to be. I am honored to be a small part of it.”

Teachers work so hard to create positive learning environments for students, and therefore it is so important to recognize and appreciate their efforts. Mrs. Martin exclaimed that the H.E.A.R.T project “made me feel like a million bucks, so let’s do it again!” Ms. Cohen concluded that, “To be able to receive feedback from our students directly will continue to inspire us to do great things!” A little bit of kindness can go a long way, and the success of this year's newly added H.E.A.R.T project definitely serves to prove that!