TOY: Hastings High School 21-22

   Ms. Gopalakrishnan or Ms. G as many of her students call her is our Alief Hastings High School Teacher of the Year. You can find her in the foreign languages hallway in the South building surrounded by Spanish and French teachers teaching the less easy language of mathematics.

   Although it can be said that the topics explored in her classroom are challenging, her students trust her patience, compromising skills, and teaching to get them across that hurdle. She understands the difficulty of her classes and encourages her students to practice when they can and is always ready to help them to do so. 

   She shared a story about practicing mathematics on newspaper clippings as a child because she did not want her father to spend more money on notebooks. In order to help her student’s parents avoid the same situation, she provides notebooks, folders, markers, and whiteboards allowing them to study and practice in the way that best suits their learning styles.

   “She taught like she knew what she was doing and not like teachers that watched youtube videos before class, she’s smart and knows how to convey a topic well,”Alumni Victor Ogunbodede said.

   She has been teaching for 26 years now and enjoys teaching because she is contributing to the success of the future generation and holds a passion for mathematics. Although she was elected teacher of the year by her peers she believes the quality a good teacher possesses is the ability to make connections with students. 

   “Ms. G is not like any other teacher I had before, it’s her dedication and motivation that helps us as students grow. She’s caring, nice, and charming but there are no words to explain why she has become the most important person in my career. I want to thank her for being dedicated to her work because without her the high school experience wouldn’t be the same”.  Senior Ashley Hernandez said.

   Although Mrs. Gopalakrishnan is our teacher of the year, she remains humble and is just glad to be recognized. She is not surprised to have been elected teacher of the year because she held a positive mindset through the process and is grateful for her win but she just enjoys teaching and helping her students grow. 

   “I think Mrs. G is an amazing teacher and I value her because of her dedication to me as a student. She doesn’t mind staying well after regular tutoring hours just to answer any questions I have. She is also very aware and considerate of her students’ strengths and weaknesses, therefore helping them thrive without feeling embarrassed in the classroom. Thank you Mrs. G” Senior Deborah Kolawale said. 

   She demonstrates that being a good teacher is truly about connecting with others, her patience, empathy, and care for her students do not go unnoticed and she is here to help the future generation grow with or without recognition: from the newspaper staff, her students, and fellow faculty members,we thank you for your dedication to the service of others and appreciate all of the teachers who go a mile and beyond for their students without being recognized. Thank you.