We are excited to kick off our very first Teacher Appreciation Week as Team Short Answer! This week, we will be highlighting the voices and experiences of some of the teachers who have supported us at every step of the way as a way of saying thank you.
Teachers, we are grateful for the opportunity to build Short Answer with you and play a role in your students’ learning journeys. We couldn’t – and wouldn’t – do this without each and every one of you. Thank you for providing the motivation, inspiration, and purpose behind our mission to make the classroom a place where all students can take direction over their own learning and feel like they belong.
Without further ado, let’s introduce our first teacher profile of the week: Mr. Matthew Plummer!
Matthew is an AP Government teacher at River City Science Academy in Jacksonville, Florida. He was one of the first teachers to ever use Short Answer, starting way back in October 2022, when he participated in our early pilot testing with 20 other educators around the country.
Matthew says his favorite part about being a teacher is his ability to make an impact on the future of our next generation of leaders. One particularly memorable moment with those very same future leaders happened recently, when a group of Seniors threw Matthew a surprise birthday party, cake and all. Seems like Matthew’s students know that teacher appreciation shouldn’t be confined to just one week in the year too.
When asked to describe something about his job that he wishes more non-teachers knew, Matthew jokes that using the bathroom whenever you want is a luxury teachers certainly do not have. While humorous, it’s also true, and just another one of the countless unseen ways teachers put their 100% effort into providing quality support, guidance, and care for our students every single day.
We’re grateful to have a teacher like Matthew as a frequent user of Short Answer. He provides insightful feedback that has shaped future directions for the tool, and we’ve benefited immensely from his support. Matthew says Short Answer has led to a lot of impactful discussion, particularly for his AP Gov students: “it has further enriched their learning and opened the door for different perspectives and voices in the classroom that normally wouldn’t speak up during verbal discussion.”
So, as we kick off Teacher Appreciation Week 2023, let’s give it up for Matthew! Thank you for all that you do!
As teacher appreciation week continues, we’re looking to feature more voices of our great educators and give you some time to shine in the spotlight! If you’re interested in participating, please reach out.
