Three cheers for our November Teacher of the Month!

November is a month filled with gratitude, and while we’ve got plenty of folks to thank during this time, there are some who deserve a little extra dose of recognition. In that spirit, we are extra excited to honor our November Teacher of the Month, Ryan Swick! Mr. Swick has been both a kindergarten and third grade teacher at Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy, and has shown an exceptional dedication to supporting the individual and collective strengths of his students.

Mr. Swick has continually shown a commitment to each and every one of his students, making sure to account for and address each student’s individual learning needs. In doing so, he ensures that everyone is able to learn and remain engaged. His teaching even incorporates issues of social justice and tolerance into his instruction and classroom atmosphere.

As one parent says, “His commitment of teaching the children goes beyond standard requirements. He embraces the vision of the school’s goal to teach awareness, acceptance, nonviolence, to celebrate our differences and achieve academic excellence through honest, open discussions in an age-appropriate way.”

From the moment he joined the faculty at HMCRA, Mr. Swick has shown that his engagement with the community extends far outside of instruction. As a parents says, “Mr. Swick is involved in all school activities and fundraisers and is usually the first to volunteer (like sitting on the plank of the dunk tank at our school’s annual carnival, a huge community event). He is beloved by his students, their parents and caregivers, other staff and the community.”

He has continually participated in (and won!) the school’s largest fundraising event, the yearly Drag Queen Show, raising funds for vital school programs, and embodying the importance of individuality and acceptance. He is truly an engaging and innovative educator. As one student says, “A word I would use to describe him is ‘nice.’”

Thank you, Mr. Swick, for all that you do to help nourish the minds and hearts of these students, we are so pleased to award you our November Teacher of the Month Award!

Read more about our Teacher of the Month Program and how to nominate a special teacher in your life.