Highlander Way’s Matt Gabbert on Professional Mission…and Attire.
April 17, 2009
Matt Gabbert, Highlander Way M.S.
“If students fail, so does Michigan…”
And now for something a little different…
Matt Gabbert, who began teaching English/language arts at Highlander Way Middle School in the fall of 2007, was not one of the teachers selected for this month’s educator profiles, though he definitely deserves to be.
Instead, we wanted to wedge in this invitation to read Mr. Gabbert’s reflections on teaching as published in the April, 2009 issue of the MEA Voice.
The Michigan Education Association invited new teachers to share their musings on the state of the profession and Matt, who began teaching English at Highlander Way in the fall of 2007, had plenty to say on the topic. In his essay, Mr. Gabbert cites effective teaching as the real key to long-term economic recovery for our state.
It’s no accident that Matt’s sartorial splashes often incorporate tasteful shades of green: he earned his B.A. in English at Michigan State. He followed that up by earning teacher certification at Eastern Michigan University where he majored in English and minored in mathematics.
Mr. Gabbert says, “The most enriching moments as a teacher are when you finally see that students are connecting to you personally and professionally in their studies. Anytime you reach a point where students value their own success as much as you do personally, then you know you are continuing to be an effective teacher.”
Click this MEA Voice link to read his essay online. You’ll find it on page 22 of the publication.
ADDENDUM: Following this post, Matt was selected as an exemplary teacher for May, as predicted. Congratulations, Mr. Gabbert.
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I read your article Matthew–it’s true. We are selling students on their own futures so we need to do it well, after all, we are often the only professional person they ever observe at work. Check out The Inspired Teacher: How to Know One, Grow One or Be One. It’s about being the best teachers we can be.
Matthew is correct,(this is from a completely biased opinion being that I am a recently former student of his) Mr.Gabbert taught the class as if he were speaking out to exact equals of his and as if we were that of the professional class of society. Yet he still made the class enjoyable to be in and a great environment to learn. He graded without holding back because you didn’t do any pre-writes or something. Teaching is the real base of the actual way that the economy will restore to former glory, if we the students don’t become successful today (with hardwork involved) then we can’t become the professionals that Mr.Gabbert encouraged us to be, then there will be no helping Michigan. Thank you for your thoughts Gabbert.