January 2024

Andrew Haff, Social Studies and We the People Teacher, Woodside Middle School

Nomination commentary from two parents: 

My daughter, took Mr. Haff’s We the People and Social Studies class as an 8th grader (last year). Mr. Haff’s ability to teach challenging concepts and inspire young people to tackle tough topics through argument, supporting evidence, and critical thinking was amazing. I was blown away at the state WTP competition watching middle school students present civic arguments and answer questions about the U.S. Constitution, citing Supreme Court cases and other historical precedents. It is clear that Mr. Haff goes above and beyond the typical expectations of a teacher. We the People was truly a transformative experience for my daughter. Mr. Haff’s teaching ability and mentorship has inspired her to pursue a graduate degree in law and become an attorney.
 

Every parent wants to see their kids succeed and to reach the most of their potential. It requires a source of true inspiration to draw that out of students and push them to really reach beyond the normal day-to-day experience. My daughter has been happy with many different teachers and subjects over the years. However, I have never seen the true awe and inspiration that she gained from Mr. Haff’s We The People class. He pushed her to not only consider information in her text, but truly to evaluate her surroundings and apply that critical thinking to her daily life. He used readings, discussions, songs, and so many teaching strategies to reach every level of student. In my experience as a parent I would say Mr. Haff is not only worthy of teacher of the month or year. He is one of the best teachers I have ever seen. We are so lucky to have such an amazing talent in our district.