Cat Levine, News Editor
@catcourant
Jim Zambrano, one of NCHS’s Career and Technology Education teachers, has been recognized by the Connecticut Technology & Engineering Education Association as the CTEEA 2016 Teacher of Excellence. William McDonough, president of the CTEEA, is hosting the awards ceremony on November 8th (12:00 to 1:00) at their annual conference.
Mr. Zambarano, now after 23 years of teaching, remembers to how he felt on his first day and how that has changed over time. “The first three periods were great, but in my automotive class there was a fight,” he said. “I went home and thought I made a mistake. It wasn’t till around Thanksgiving that I started making connections, figuring it out, and getting comfortable. Now I can say that I love it, I think I’m okay at it, and I enjoy it.”
Principal Bill Egan believes that Mr. Zambarano’s success is due to because of his student-oriented approach to assign projects that will best help them to learn. “Whether it’s car care or an engineering class, Mr. Zambarano is always looking to incorporate collaborative assignments so that the kids really have an opportunity to problem solve with hands on experience,” he said.
Mr. Zambarano says that he is fascinated by the many ways people learn and tries to incorporate different methods into his lesson plans. “My daughter is someone who is musically inclined, and when she memorizes things it’s always to a beat or a song,” he said. “Through this I have realized that when students become aware of what style learner they are, they can study and retain information more effectively.”
Instead of typical class lectures and individual worksheets, Sophie Price, a sophomore and editor in Yearbook II, explains that Mr. Zambarano assembles projects that aid his students in becoming more acquainted with the material. “Last year when I took Mr. Zambarano’s Yearbook class, he taught us how to use programs such as Indesign and Photoshop by playing around with it and actually designing our own pages,” she said. “Not only does he help us learn the class material, but he also gives us real life experience when it comes to people in the business world.”
Sophie says that through Mr. Zambarano’s meaningful encounters, the lessons he teaches impact every student. “Everyone I know who has had Mr. Zambarano as a teacher, or even has just met him, knows he has a big heart and truly cares about his students,” she said.
Principal Egan appreciates Mr. Zambrano’s desire to build programs and try out new things in the CTE department. “Last year it was my first year here, and he came to me wanting to explore student interests,” he said. “So, we asked students what they wanted to learn and we created four new courses this semester. Mr. Zambarano really wants to design programs that best meet the needs of the kids.”
In order to be considered, Mr. Zambarano had to answer the CTEEA’s “What does engineering and technology offering students” with a this I believe statement. “I believe that it prepares students for the classroom as well as the boardroom,” he said. “I’m a big fan of lessons, so besides teaching the course curriculum, I share methods for problem solving, figuring out what kind of learner you are, and how to work with others.”
Principal Egan applauds Mr. Zambarano for his achievement and believes that the entire district should be proud. “It is such a prideful thing when one of our own in the NCHS family wins such a prestigious award. For Mr. Zambarano to be recognized as a teacher of excellence for CTE in Connecticut is an amazing accomplishment,” he said. “Any award that an individual or a team wins is a reflection on the entire community; we are all proud.”
After receiving this award, Mr. Zambarano feels honored, but doesn’t think it will change who he is or how he teaches. “People ask me ‘What’s your greatest success in teaching?’ and it’s never personal, it’s always when one of my students achieves something,” he said. “However, for someone to say ‘You’re doing a good job’ and ‘thank you’ is rewarding, satisfying, and humbling.”
