By Ari Massefski, Class of 2014
For some, choosing to change careers is the best decision they ever made.
Shira Fishman, M.A. ’07, didn’t originally want to be a teacher. As an undergraduate at Tufts University, she pursued a degree in mechanical engineering.
“I liked it,” said Ms. Fishman of her first career. “But I didn’t love it.”
In the summer of 2003, she signed up to coach in a local basketball league, and her career mentality changed.
“I realized in that one hour a week when I was coaching the basketball team, I was making an impact in a way that I hadn’t felt as an engineer,” said Ms. Fishman, who worked as a mechanical engineer for three years. “I liked that.”
So Ms. Fishman, a native of Silver Spring, Md., enrolled in the D.C. Teaching Fellows, a program that places educators in the classroom while they earn their teaching license. As part of the program, she took an intensive teacher-training course that included classes at the George Washington University. Following the program, she chose to continue her education at GW, spending the next two years pursuing a master’s in secondary math education. While taking classes at GW, she also began her teaching career at Hine Junior High School.
“My time at GW was during my first two years as a teacher, which are very overwhelming,” said Ms. Fishman. “More than anything else, it was good to be around other teachers who were also going through their first years and to talk about what was happening.”
This fall, the career change paid off. Ms. Fishman, now a teacher and math department chair at McKinley Technology High School in Northeast Washington, was named the 2011 D.C. Public Schools Teacher of the Year. She received $10,000 as part of the award, which she plans to put toward her upcoming wedding. In addition, she will serve as the District’s nominee for the 2012 National Teacher of the Year, who will be chosen in the spring by a committee made up of representatives from 14 national education organizations
“It was incredibly flattering, very unexpected and kind of overwhelming,” said Ms. Fishman, who teaches math and algebra in grades nine through 11. “You don’t come into this profession for the accolades or the press, so it was something I just wasn’t used to. I’m still not even sure it’s totally sunk in.”
However, she feels like something is missing from the recognition.
“I wish everybody I work with was getting an award,” she said. “Teaching is definitely a collective effort, so I regret that it’s not an award that the whole school ends up getting.”
She chose to teach math in the District because she already had a special connection with the city and wanted to make her impact in Washington.
“I love the city so I decided I should work in the public schools where I lived, especially since I heard that math teachers were in demand,” Ms. Fishman said. “I figured since I loved math, I might as well share my passion and hopefully my enthusiasm for math would rub off on my students.”
Ms. Fishman does more than just teach her math classes. In addition to chairing the school’s math department, Ms. Fishman provides teacher training in classroom management and instructional practices. She led a school-wide project to motivate students to attend college, and she provides after-school math tutoring nearly every day.
McKinley Technology High School Principal David Pinder described Ms. Fishman as a game-changing teacher.
“Shira’s ability to create a learning environment where students are comfortable taking risks has led to her closing the achievement gap between students below the poverty line and those of means,” said Mr. Pinder.
Four years ago, 57 percent of Ms. Fishman’s students met or exceeded the District’s math standard. This year, 87 percent met that standard.
Earlier this fall, Ms. Fishman also received the National Milken Educator Award. The $25,000 award is given to teachers who are early or middle career and demonstrate effective instructional practices in the classroom and utilize innovative ways to engage students.
“We created the Milken Educator Awards to proclaim in a very public way that greatness in education must be recognized and rewarded,” said Lowell Milken, creator of the award and chairman and co-founder of the Milken Family Foundation. “Shira Fishman empowers students and teachers to exceed their own expectations of what is possible. She is an inspiration and example for communities, policymakers and students who may be inspired to enter the profession, and for all of our nation’s K-12 educators.”
Ms. Fishman was only at GW for two years, but the Graduate School of Education and Human Development remembers her fondly.
“We’re extremely proud of Shira and her successes in the classroom,” said GSEHD Dean Michael J. Feuer. “Not only does she represent GSEHD well, she exemplifies what an educator should be — engaging, passionate and dedicated. Shira’s accomplishments are remarkable and point to the true power of teachers.”
Ms. Fishman credits her parents with inspiring her to teach, especially her mother, who is a preschool teacher and was very involved in her education as a child.
“My mom has been a big influence on me,” said Ms. Fishman. “When I was younger, we would always go out together, and she would run into her students many years after they left her class. And now, the same thing is happening to me.”
Ms. Fishman’s adviser in GSEHD, Curtis Pyke, said that she is a great example for future teachers. He remembers Ms. Fishman as proactive and ready to take advantage of the resources GSEHD provided.
“Students like Shira come to us committed to caring about students and schools and communities in ways that outshine the knowledge of curriculum they learn,” said Dr. Pyke, an associate professor of curriculum and pedagogy at GSEHD.
Ms. Fishman said the hardest part about teaching is adapting to each student’s academic level and learning style.
“It is a constant juggling act,” she said. “I involve real-life scenarios and competitions into the class to keep everyone engaged and focused.”
As a way to teach the mathematical concept of the rate of change, Ms. Fishman uses the deflation of a basketball with a slow leak as a visual aide.
But she said that the most important thing a teacher can do is to develop a relationship with her students, especially in an often intimidating subject such as math.
“Getting the students to trust the environment is the most important factor,” said Ms. Fishman. “You have to tell the students, ‘You’re going to work hard in here, and I’m going to be there for you every step of the way.’”