Teaching in an inner city school requires educators to not only instruct children, but to also be life coaches. Anna Dawidowska’s diverse background gives her privilege to do just that in a classroom. As a teacher of English, Psychology, and Career Exploration, Anna has been able to her inspire students in many inventive ways.

Anna believes that education must be relevant to students’ lives in order to be meaningful. Her goal is to use each student’s talents, passions, and interests to their best potential with real-world tools. Most recently Anna has been using social media with her students and athletes to connect their ideas in meaningful and collaborative ways using social media. Anna is a pioneer in NYC in incorporating social media into practice. It is her Facebook groups which serve as a model for other teachers interested in doing the same.

Many students are shy and feel intimidated to speak up in front of their peers. Anna has found the use of social media has opened new doors for these students and fostered the ability for them to express their literary opinions in a more concrete and honest way. It has also introduced them to using groups as a way of studying and preparing for exams that will benefit them not only in school today, but they will have the skills and knowledge to carry this over to college.

Anna also uses social media been as an additional educational tool to further learn about literary topics after class ended. She explains that with the new, test-focused curriculums, many teachers, do not have enough class time in a 45 minute instructional period to discuss literature or to complete and share creative assignments. Social media use allows students to do just that anytime/anywhere. In her college and career exploration group Anna has invited her high school alumni to interact with her current students to give them advice and guidance and advice around what they can do in high school today to realize success tomorrow. It has been a great and an eye opening experience for her to watch as these alumni become experts and mentors that her current students both relate to and grow from.

It is because of Anna’s pioneering spirit, ability and interest in figuring out and incorporating the real and relevant tools of her student’s world into instruction, that she deserves this Bammy Award nomination.