YAY CHARLES MCNAMARA! Charles McNamara, a math teacher at Gifted Young Scholars Academy at L. Douglas Wilder Middle School, is today's "Yay of the Day" honoree. Superintendent Amy Cashwell honored him recently at Wilder.
YAYWORTHY:
Three different students sent in nominations! Sandy Erijarla said,
“He is such an understanding and kind teacher who respects that students have emotions towards their work. He also respects students' wishes and ways. He is a very understanding, empathetic person.
“One day, many students were absent during a time period of many assignments. He observed that they wouldn't have enough time to do all of those assignments and he took into consideration the student's mental stability and performance. Thoughtfully and kindly, he extended the due dates of the assignments so that the absent students had a chance to finish them without much stress. He always thinks about how we feel rather than what he has to do."
Melody Qian said,
“He is always a positive person and he makes everyone around him feel like they are being heard and acknowledged. He also always makes sure that everyone always understands what is going on and makes sure that no one feels like they are asking a dumb question.
“Many times, when I have a question or want help with things, I will go up to him privately to ask about it. Because I am younger than the other people in the class, I prefer not to ask in front of other people and have them laugh at me. But, every time, when I go up to him, I tell him that it might be a stupid question and he always says that the question isn't stupid and he makes jokes to make many students feel better about asking questions. For example, he once said, 'Oh, really, you're having trouble with a topic that I haven't even introduced yet? Wow, I wonder how that could have happened.' This happens a lot, because people ask a lot of questions and he always makes us feel better about asking questions."
Caitlyn Collins said,
“He is very kind to all of the students. He makes all the students feel comfortable and whenever they don't understand something he always explains it in a patient, calm and understanding manner. He respects the needs and emotions of students and he is very observant which makes him able to increase the value of our learning experience.
“When I was having trouble with an assignment, I emailed him for help on understanding the math involved. Instead of just responding to me and explaining how to do the math, he took the time to make a screen recording of how to do it and he fully explained it. This really shows how much he cares about the learning experience of his students."
Thank you for all you do, Charles McNamara, to make a positive difference and move HCPS forward!
• No. 30 in a series. See previous "Yay of the Day" honorees at https://www.henricoschools.us/page/yay-of-the-day.