A Tribute to Teachers

everybody remembers a favorite teacher. whether it was someone who pushed you harder, became your friend or simply cast life in a different light, educators stay with us long after the last day of school.

but for individuals who can have such an impact on our lives, teachers rarely get the recognition they deserve. that's why manhattan media started the blackboard awards for teachers. the idea is to salute those classroom leaders who not only nail the basics but go above and beyond the call of duty to help their students succeed.

selecting this year's honorees was no easy task. we received more than 400 nominations from parents, students, principals and other professionals through our website, www.blackboardawards.com. our editorial team culled those nominations down to the select group of outstanding educators profiled in these pages. in addition to these profiles, each teacher will be honored at a june 8 awards ceremony at fordham university law school.

we salute all the nominees, and give a big thank you to the sponsors of the blackboard awards for teachers: the united federation of teachers, the city university of new york and fordham university.

-charlotte eichna, blackboard awards project director charter's dynamic duo love first, teach second cooking up young learners support, no matter what an unassuming brilliance the first grade transformation from filmmaker to 4th grade shapiro's creative curriculum the science of middle school a builder of math skills school sports empire bergman makes learning contagious inspiring future scientists taking students to the source an advocate in the south bronx creating an orchestra from scratch a harbor for the most vulnerable from band-aids to break-ups gifted teacher leads precocious group