Shayna Stern

Shayna Stern

Shayna Stern, now known as Ms. Stern, was born to Zach and Micki Stern. She has two younger brothers ages sixteen and twenty-two. As a kid, Ms.Stern wasn't exactly sure on what she wanted to be once she grew up. She was interested in being a teacher, movie star, and architect. Although she wasn't sure on what she wanted to be, she knew that she wanted to have a job where she helped kids.

Ms. Stern went to the University of Virginia. Afterwards, she took part in an organization known as Teach For America. Teach for America is an organization that recruits recent college graduates (like Ms. Stern) to teach in urban and rural public schools for two years. Ms. Stern was placed in Tennessee to where she was hired to teach at Knowledge Academies. Her first year ever teaching was 6th grade math. Her next year she moved up and taught the 7th grade. Although she is no longer part of the Teach for America organization, she loved her first set of students so much that she decided to stay at Knowledge Academies and continue teaching. She now helps train other math teachers. As a teacher, she doesn't only want to teach kids math, but also to help kids reach their full potential.

Tatyana Munoz P.O.V. The first day of school at Knowledge Academies I was soooo nervous. I am a really shy person and I didn't see anyone that I knew. I didn't talk to anyone and the more people that I saw gathering into the room, the more uncomfortable I felt. I was told that I was going to be in Ms. Stern's homeroom and to head to her classroom. I felt so uncomfortable walking around the classroom to find my name. Once I found my seat I noticed a piece of white computer paper that had my name handwritten on it. I read the paper (written by Ms. Stern) and it instantly calmed me down and made me feel better. The note was full of positive words and comments. Ms. Stern then started talking to us about being comfortable in the classroom with each other and we did a lot of fun games that would help us get to know each other. From then on I felt so much more comfortable and felt like I had someone who actually cared about me and I could look up to. I was in Ms. Stern's class for 2 years and although she no longer teaches me, I continue to see her as my hero, role model and inspiration. I couldn't ask for a better relationship with a teacher than the one I have with Ms. Stern. I hope that one day I could help inspire and shape as many people as she did and continues to do. She is my motivation to do well and my inspiration to becoming as great of a math teacher as she is.  That's how Ms. Stern became my hero.

Yari Martinez P.O.V. On my first day of Knowledge Academies, everything was new to me. I just came in the middle of the school year to a new school in a new state. I was so nervous because I didn't have a clue on what I was supposed to do and I didn't know anyone there so I couldn't ask for help. It wasn't until I was lined up in front on Ms. Stern's class that I could breathe a sigh of relief. She came out with the biggest smile on her face and ask me for my name. It doesn't sound like much but that was the moment that made me feel the most comfortable. But that wasn't the best part. Once I actually went into the classroom I thought she would go ahead and start teaching us about math, but instead she started talking to us about having grit, ownership, and other things that could help make us into a better person like herself. I then realized that this wouldn't be a regular math class and I wouldn't have just a regular teacher. This would be a place were I would have an environment where I could learn skills that would help me in both the real world and the academic environment and someone who would help me in every possible way that she could. And that's how Ms. Stern became my hero.

Ms. Stern has not only inspired us but also every single one of her students that she has taught. I don't believe that we would be where we are without Ms. Stern's help. She has been more than a teacher to us. Ms. Stern is the only person I know that doesn't need a cape and mask to be a true hero.