Back in person for the first time in over a year, students came together and gave the most votes for Teacher of the Month to Diana! 

Diana is an ELA teacher for both 11th and 12th grade and is notoriously known to be “unique”, “supportive”, and “honest” by those who voted for her. One student explained she chose Diana because “she always goes above and beyond for her students.” 
During our interview with Diana, we were able to learn more about her pathway and mindset to becoming a teacher. She explains that when she was in high school, she was adamant about not becoming a teacher because her English teacher, Margerie, said she would. However, in undergrad, she took a class called “Diversity in Literature” which exposed her to great pieces of writing she never read before. From then on, she found her love and passion for writing and reading and went on to grad school for teaching. 
When asked about why she thinks she was chosen as Teacher of the Month, Diana believes it is because of her honesty. Even though people perceive her to be blunt, dry, and sarcastic, it works for her students because they understand that she is honest about everything she says. 
 
Teaching Style
Diana explains that she thrives when she hears feedback and applies it back into her teaching. Diana creates her curriculum so that it is relatable and exciting, and believes in what she teaches. She presents texts that feel relevant and important to both herself and her students. 
With her experience in NYU for grad school, Diana was able to co-teach with different teachers from different backgrounds and schools. From there, she got to observe, learn, and apply everything to her own teaching. Diana explains “I am learning from students, and students are learning from me.”
 
Diana & TYWLS
Lastly, we asked Diana about TYWLS and the school environment. She starts by saying that her favorite thing about TYWLS is the students. She describes all the students in TYWLS as “intellectually curious,” “excited to learn,” and “passionate.” Diana gets excited knowing that the next generation is actually doing real things because we all care about the world around us. 
 
To end things off, Diana says thank you for this recognition. She is surprised, but grateful, and loves all of her students!