The Cumberland School Department is pleased to announce Cumberland’s District Teacher of the Year – Eric Georgio. Congratulations to Eric on this outstanding achievement. We are very proud of his commitment and dedication to his school, students, and their families. This past school year was another challenging school year for everyone. We are fortunate to have Eric working in our school system.
Eric was recognized during the June 24, 2021 Cumberland School Committee meeting. Cumberland High School Principal, Mr. Adolfo Costa submitted the following nomination.
Hello fellow administrators of Cumberland Schools. It is with great honor that I present to you Eric Georgio, our nominee for the Cumberland School Department’s teacher of the year. In what has been the most challenging times of this era in education, Eric has consistently stood out as an innovator, a leader and a positive force at CHS. Eric quickly embraced the environments in which we would operate in 2020/2021, setting up his classroom with technology he purchased himself to provide the best possible learning experiences for his students. Emails of appreciation soon poured in from our community praising his efforts to meet the needs of all of his students.
Our parent Joanna said about Eric, “I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for working with Julia this year in Algebra. When I spoke with you at the beginning of the year and let you know that she struggles with Math, you were very understanding and assuring. Julia told me that you always made sure to check in with her during class to see if she had any questions. This is the kind of help Julia needs, and I can’t thank you enough for doing this. She always felt comfortable in your class which hasn’t always been the case in previous years. Thank you also for your many offers to help Julia after school even though she wasn’t always willing 🙂 Teachers like you really make a difference, and you are very much appreciated!!”
Mr. Georgio’s impact on our school has gone far beyond the walls of his classroom. Early on in his career at CHS, Mr. Georgio established the game club to provide an inclusive environment where students can share their passion for gaming in a social setting. By removing the isolation that often comes with gaming, students gather to compete, share strategies and “hang out” with their peers. During this past year while many after school programs were put on hold, Mr. Georgio continued to offer this inclusive, safe environment for his students during advisory and independent times.
Mr. Georgio has also dedicated much of his free time to support the growth of our Computer Science CTE program. He has consistently held a vision to create and promote opportunities for students to pursue computer science studies. Instructionally, Eric has supported and developed coursework aligned to program and industry needs, with courses such as AP Computer Science A and JAVA Programming. In addition to the academic supports, Eric works closely with our Business Advisory Board and Industry Partners, embedding work based learning and industry partnerships into his classroom as often as possible, providing real-world experiences for his students which are better preparing them for their postsecondary goals.
To bestow this nomination during a year of such uncertainty on Eric is tremendously appropriate. He embraced the challenges, while others demonstrated resistance to our new environments. Eric purchased technology to create a classroom that was inviting all of his students. He set up a camera and a large television in the back of the room to provide the same point of view for students at home as those in person. Additional microphones located in different sectors of the classroom allowed for fluid communication for all members of his class. Mr. Georgio’s goal was to simulate the truest live experience for all students. Most important was Eric’s dedication to ongoing communication with his students to ensure these practices and approaches work for them.
To promote student learning Eric has spent significant time outside of the school day flipping his classroom, to create and provide video lessons for students to review and relearn during independent time to promote achievement for all. These videos were created after school hours at home using industry level software to enhance the quality of the student experience.
Eric has also embraced a leadership role during this past year, sharing technology with others during professional development opportunities. He has demonstrated how he is using the tech in his classroom and how he created the enhanced videos. He also took time to teach others how to use previously unused technology at their fingertips. Eric has also invited others to his classroom, opening it up for staff observations to build a capacity to teach in the hybrid classroom.
There is so much more to be said about Eric Georgio and his value to our school and our district. He is a positive influence on our staff and on our students, always fostering relationships conducive to learning. Not too long ago I approached Eric and asked him to consider greater leadership roles as I believe he has the tools for even greater impact. As Eric said to me, “you get what you give” and Eric gives a lot.
To close I wanted to share this email from a parent who captures Eric’s dedication and commitment perfectly.
My son, Maxx, is a senior this year. It’s not exactly the year we envisioned but it is still a good year. He is enrolled in the CTE pathway and will continue his education in the fall at SNHU for Game Design and Development. Mr. Eric Georgio has been Maxx’s instructor in the past for Java and now for AP Computer Science A.
Maxx is also enrolled in the Design and Development class which requires a capstone project. I just wanted to give a shout out to Mr. Georgio. Although he does not teach this class, Mr. Georgio has been such an amazing mentor to Maxx as he works through this project. With everything that these teachers have had to put together in these past few weeks, Mr. Georgio continues to mentor, guide and support my son for a class he doesn’t even teach!
Today, I heard Maxx on what I think was a Google Hangout discussion with Mr. Georgio when I realized they had been working together for over 40 minutes after school had ended. I was shocked and humbled. I am so grateful that he took time away from his family to help my son for a class he doesn’t even teach. And the best part was to hear the enthusiasm in Maxx’s voice while working with Mr. Georgio. It just shows how much of a positive impact he’s had on my son’s education.
At a time when most choose to point out the negative, I felt the need to point out the good we have at CHS. I cannot thank him enough for being such an amazing teacher and role model. I want Mr. Georgio to know what a positive impact he has on his students, especially my son, which will be remembered long after they graduate. I know I am forever grateful for his dedication. He is such an asset to CHS and the CTE program.
Respectfully submitted,
Adolfo Costa
Principal, Cumberland High School