North Fort Myers Academy of the Arts’ Michael Pape receives teacher-of-the-year honor
A first-year teacher at North Fort Myers Academy of the Arts has received the Dr. James A. Adams Teacher of the Year for Law Related Education.
“Receiving the Dr. James A. Adams Teacher of the Year for Law Related Education meant the absolute world to me,” said Michael Pape, a middle school social studies teacher at North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts. “I had been waking up every morning with the goal of making the difference in the life of at least one student every day, and, to me this award let me know that I achieved that goal. My administration saw it, and wanted to recognize that, also showing me that all the hard work I had putting in was paying off.”
The award was provided through the Lee County Bar Association during its annual Law Week Awards and Luncheon, at the Riverside Community Center in Fort Myers.
“This award was a complete surprise to me. My principal, Mr. Andrew Miller, had just told me that our school was going to this event to represent the district, and that the school district wanted him to bring a social studies teacher. I had no idea I was there for any other reason until Mr. Miller took the stage,” he said. “Education is my passion; I am so beyond grateful to have received this award. It shows me that what I am doing, and the effort that I put in, is making a difference.”
In addition, the award has given him the opportunity personally to reflect on what has gone well this year.
“Often, it is easy to be overcritical of yourself, causing you to be hard on yourself for mistakes you have made. I myself am guilty of this, but this award let me truly acknowledge the things that I did that had an impact,” Pape said.
He is an eighth-grade world history teacher.
“I started out the year as a STAR intern from Florida Gulf Coast University and graduated in December,” Pape said.
The growth of each and every student, both as learners and as people, is what he enjoys most about teaching.
“Watching a student’s abilities grow firsthand is the most satisfying part of teaching. In the end our goal is to help them learn and improve, so being able to measure this and observe it gives me a reason to wake up and be the best teacher I can be every day,” he said. “Also, being a teacher is more about teaching academics, it’s about teaching them how to be better people and how to be successful members of society. Teaching them lessons about being better people, how to manage their time, and how to interact with their peers are all parts of being an educator that I love.”
Pape’s lesson plans aim at more than just remembering information, but to think critically through engagement of a topic beyond the surface.
“I have done lessons in an attempt to reach every student’s preferred learning style, that also keeps their brains and bodies active. The lesson that has stood out to me this year, that I feel had the highest level of engagement and impact, was my mock trial of Odysseus. We used our own legal system. Studied the courts and researched the roles of each member of the court room. This lesson was a mix of learning about Ancient Greece, important literature, and the U.S. legal system,” he said.
-NFMNL
This story appears in the latest issue of the North Fort Myers Neighbor Living magazine, available at locations throughout North Fort Myers.