ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — How do you inspire teachers as we face a teacher shortage and pandemic learning challenges? The organization Honored believes it is key to remind them - what they do makes a difference.
To do that the national organization every month recognizes one amazing teacher in the nation. This month it recognized a teacher at Rochester High School that students say is their superhero.
Chad Zwolinski teaches AP History at Rochester High School. In his classroom, there is a lot of Captain America.
How does he tie Captain America into the class?
“People have fought for this country and the opportunities we have. As he says, I can do this all day. Never give up. Come in and give it everything you have got,” said Mr. Zwolinski or Mr. Z to students.
On the walls that display pictures of historical figures, are also pictures of every previous student.
“I am showing them they matter and their impact makes a huge difference,” said Mr. Zwolinski.
“When I look at those pictures on the wall, it is amazing because he has touched their lives forever,” said Maggie He, a Rochester High School graduate.
Maggie He took Mr. Z’s AP History Class in 2020 and is one of several students who nominated him for the award from Honored. She says when students became stressed during the pandemic, Mr. Z noticed in superhero fashion. He took time to decompress, talking about Marvel.
"He had a lot of great approaches to making sure we were prepared and making sure we were well,” said Maggie He.
Mr. Z in the meantime was living with his sister Melissa Kwiatkowski, a fellow teacher working passionately for children while fighting liver cancer.
“To be able to honor her every day and teach the way she did, with passion and joy and care for everyone, because she did some amazing things and fought so hard,” said Mr. Z.
His sister passed away in September. To get this honor now, Mr. Z says, honors her.
Honor says it gives these awards, which provide not just recognition, but $5000 to remind teachers, what they do matters. You can nominate your teacher at https://www.honored.org/nominate.
“They are some amazing students and they are going to do great things. So the fact they took time to do this for me, I can’t put it into words,” said Mr. Z.
