Students should always be so lucky. Lucy Hilarides (pictured left in the middle between Kathryn Berkman and Elizabeth Colen) is an 8th grade Humanities teacher at Gateway Middle School, and by all accounts, a favorite teacher to many. "Ms. Hilarides encouraged me to start my own club, and then helped me out when we got going," said Fiona. "She was awesome enough to [also become] the debate club teacher."
Ms. Hilarides moved to San Francisco in the summer of 2013, after a stint teaching 8th grade English Language Arts in Chicago. Daunted from navigating SFUSD job listings, she stumbled across the Gateway Middle School website which listed openings for inaugural 8th grade teachers. She thought it must be too good to be true. "This is a really good fit for me," she mused, and she was right. In Chicago, Ms. Hilarides team-taught, a challenging experiment that opened her eyes to new ways of educating. Gateway would prove to be the next step in cementing her interest in collaborative, inquiry-based instruction.
"My colleagues at Gateway are confident, creative, and equally motivated," says Ms. Hilarides. "Whatever we do as a team is better than what I can accomplish as an individual."
Her teammates agree. Seventh grade Math and Science Teacher Kathryn Berkman reports, "Lucy is the kind of coworker who will put down anything she is working on to listen to you. She's professional, while being creative and relatable. Her students enjoy the wide variety of teaching methods and rise to the high expectations she models."
Much like her commitment to Gateway, Ms. Hilarides' affection for the city is equally apparent. "I loved San Francisco as soon as I visited," she says. She took up cycling, long hikes, and immersed herself in the city's eclectic food scene. An avid cook and devotee to west coast produce, she admits an insatiable appetite for sunchokes and uses them wherever possible.
Ms. Hilarides' teaching style exhibits her passion for learning. In a recent Humanities class town hall debate on whether the U.S. should declare independence from Great Britain, she dressed as George Washington and encouraged students to wear costumes as well. She reported that the entire class enthusiastically participated in authentic debate and even cheered for independence after all parties met in agreement. "Both sides had done their research," she said. "They presented their perspectives and then really listened to what the others had to say."
This practice of Gateway Middle Schools' core values – Responsibility, Respect, Community, Excellence – is what moves Ms. Hilarides the most. "These are actually practiced and incorporated into everything we do," she says. "We make it so that everyone is really brought into learning."
Clearly, the "good fit" for Ms. Hilarides is a great fit for her students and the Gateway community. She demonstrates the open-minded generosity of spirit that defines the best Gateway has to offer. Thanks for all you do, Ms. H!