Salisbury Facilitator Wins Citadel Award
On March 16, when Salisbury Elementary School principal Sheri McGowan received notice that fourth-grade teacher Matt Rogers was a recipient of the Citadel Heart of Learning Award given by Citadel Credit Union, she wanted to give him the surprise announcement in a special way.
McGowan hurried to the playground, where fourth-grade students were at recess, and she informed the students, along with Rogers' fellow grade-level facilitator, Emily Frank, swearing them all to secrecy and solemnity. Back in the school, McGowan acted especially serious as she asked Rogers and Frank to follow her to Rogers' classroom, where the students were gathered. "Mrs. McGowan pulls us across the room," recalled Rogers, who was sure something ominous was about to happen. "Only (for us) to hear it was related to this award," he said, grinning.
Rogers was nominated for the award by Salisbury staff member Patricia Manning, along with the family of a child in his class. The award has been given to teachers in the greater Philadelphia area, extending into Chester and Lancaster counties, with the goal of recognizing teachers who show dedication in and outside the classroom. Rogers received the award, which includes a cash prize, at a special gala held at the Mann Center in Philadelphia on May 2. According to Rogers, a panel selects winners from nominations in elementary, middle, and high school categories.
"The goal (of the award) is to recognize local teachers who show dedication in and outside the classroom," said McGowan.
Rogers was overwhelmed by the honor. "We are really fortunate to have some incredible educators here, so it was a huge honor to be selected for that award," he said, adding, "I think I earned that through the collaborative work we do here at Salisbury." Although the monetary prize is intended for personal use, Rogers has already used some of it for classroom supplies.
Although Rogers expressed appreciation for the gala event, he spoke glowingly of the experience of having a video production crew sent to the school by Citadel. "They took time to interview students and co-workers," said Rogers. Some of the students who were interviewed mentioned that they met Rogers in kindergarten and looked forward to having him as a teacher in fourth grade. Others used words like fun, silly, and brave to describe Rogers. "The opportunity for kids to give a voice to emotions is something I emphasize in our environment, so it was really neat to witness what they had to say," said Rogers, noting it was also nice to hear affirmation in their words.
"Validation isn't a given in education, and to come out of (COVID-19 challenges), it was a substantial boost of confidence that the sacrifices (teachers) make are worth it," said Rogers, adding that most teachers go into the field hoping to make an impact on students. "That validation was the most powerful part of this all," he said.
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