Kalamazoo College alumnus Sean Smith ’08, a chemistry teacher at Pritzker College Prep, is one of seven serving the network of Noble Schools in Chicago to be admitted into its Distinguished Teacher program this year.
According to a Noble Schools news release, the program rewards network teachers who have achieved exceptional accomplishments with students in their careers. For the honor, Smith will receive an additional $10,000 on top of his base salary each year for the duration of employment as a teacher at Noble; opportunities to engage in professional development specific to Distinguished Teachers; opportunities to participate in network-wide decisions; and a chance to help select future Distinguished Teachers.
“Being named a Distinguished Teacher was a nice way to recognize the time, energy and work that I’ve put into my craft of teaching high school chemistry, as well as the expertise I’ve gained over the last 16 years of teaching,” Smith said. “With teaching, there’s no day-to-day recognition of the extra time we put in on the weekends or after school brainstorming lessons, setting up labs, grading or the million other things on our minds, so it’s nice to have the extra recognition for the outcomes that all of these little things produce.”
While working toward his Bachelor of Arts in biology at K, Smith worked as a YMCA summer camp counselor and waterfront director at Camp Torenta in his hometown of Cadillac, Michigan. The roles inspired him to consider a career in teaching.
By his senior year, Smith was working in a biochemistry lab at K to conduct research on disulfide bonds. Since graduating, Smith has acquired a Master of Science Education from Lehman College in New York while working with the New York City Teaching Fellows to instruct high-need subjects to the city’s students. Smith additionally served as a science instructional coach at EPIC Academy in Chicago before starting his career at Pritzker College Prep.
“Many of us remember our favorite teachers far into adulthood,” Noble Schools CEO Constance Jones said. “Educators who make a difference in their classrooms make a pivotal difference in their students’ lives, and it is important that we recognize this kind of devotion. It is my honor to welcome this new cohort of outstanding educators into the program and thank them for the abundance of passion, love and dedication that they bring with them to the job each and every day.”
Smith added, “Teaching is constantly challenging, surprising and rewarding. The things that I love about teaching vary on a daily basis because there are so many different aspects to it as a job. It is never boring, and there are always unsolved puzzles and challenges that require creative solutions. I also appreciate the unpredictability and surprises that come from teaching students who have their own unique ideas, questions and quirks. The exact same lesson or lab could produce different data, conclusions or questions based on what students are bringing into the classroom.”