It was a very early start to the week for me this morning as I was to be in Ruskin to photograph an award presentation for a high school teacher at 8am! Kelly Zunkiewicz is a high school calculus teacher at Lennard High School in Ruskin, Florida. She won the Fishman Prize presented by TNTP which brings with it much, much more than the trophy and framed letter you see above, it also brings $25,000!!!
Only four teachers in the country win the prize so it is a great and prestigious honor. Kelly did not know she had won until a parade of people entered her 8am calculus class and then it was all smiles after that.
I wonder if I had a teacher like Kelly would my own high school precalculus grade have been better?? My high school math classroom experiences began in summer school algebra (before I even started the 9th grade) with a bunch of seniors who needed to pass the class in order to still graduate. That was a very fun summer school class! However, finishing with pre-calculus in 12th grade things were much, much less fun.
Kelly receives a kiss from dad who no doubt must be very proud of her. The same for mom on the right.
One last hug as we all leave her classroom and things return to normal at Lennard High School.