Position: Social Studies Teacher
School: P.S. 861 Staten Island School of Civic Leadership
School District: New York City Department of Education, District 31
City, State: Staten Island, NY
Michael Parise was nominated by an anonymous student.
As the school year started, Mr. Parise's nominator was dreading social studies class because they thought the class would be boring.
"I thought this class would be about a teacher giving important dates and facts about different events in history, but that wasn't true at all. Social studies turned out to be my favorite class," the nominator said.
That's because Mr. Parise is a one-of-a-kind teacher. He makes history fun, exciting and very dramatic. He brings history to life by coming into school wearing items, clothing and headdresses that go along with what his students are learning.
"I remember he also changed his voices according to the characters we were learning about, such as Shakespeare's Hamlet. He also taught us life lessons like 'always dress formally, even for the smallest audiences.'" his nominator said.
Mr. Parise teaches his students to be respectful. He talks to them about patriotism and the importance of raising and lowering the flag in front of the school, regardless of the weather.
"He taught me the correct way to perform in the Color Guard, such as how to stand and position myself and what to say, which made my family and I very proud," his nominator said.
Outside the classroom, Mr. Parise is in charge of student government and the debate team, giving students at PS 861 the opportunity to compete against students from different schools. He also handles a clean up at a community park and leads the chess club.
"He is a fun, cool, interesting teacher, and I will always remember him. He truly cares about his students, and he knows that in order to get kids involved, especially in the seventh grade, it takes a lot of work. If you were to meet him, you would agree," his nominator said.