When Tiffany Ricciardi, a teacher at Emerson Middle School in Union City, received a voicemail last month from the superintendent’s office, she couldn’t believe her ears.
The message, which Ricciardi described as “lovely,” was that she had been awarded Hudson County Teacher of the Year.
Ricciardi remains humble months after her original nomination was submitted by her peers.
“This is just what I do,” said Ricciardi last week. “I come to work every day and try to do my best.”
A literacy coach at the middle school, Ricciardi doesn’t have her own classroom of students, but rather works with hundreds of students throughout the school in various classrooms.
“I love to teach in whatever capacity it may be.” – Tiffany Ricciardi
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“We try to keep it engaging for the students,” she said. “So they develop a lifelong love of being literate individuals.”
That means equipping them with the tools to find answers to their own questions, and making sure there’s relevancy to the literature they’re learning in class.
Connecting material to life
The material has no value if there’s no real life connection, Ricciardi said.
To that end, she works with the teachers to help integrate current events into the teaching of literature and ensure that best practices are being used in the classroom.
Because of the nature of her position, Ricciardi often moves from group to group every few weeks.
Though she admits her nomadic professional lifestyle “has its days,” Ricciardi said she’s simply grateful for the opportunity to teach at all.
“I love to teach in whatever capacity it may be,” she said. “I feel as if I’m able to reach more students [this way] and I’m just as proud of that.”
The road to nomination
In Union City, the process of being nominated “Teacher of the Year” begins at the school level. Peers write a recommendation on behalf of one of their fellow teachers.
Ricciardi was given the honor within Emerson Middle School, home to approximately 850 students, just after the winter holidays.
“We’re a pretty big middle school,” she said. “To even be recognized among the staff was quite an honor.”
Then, she was selected as one of the top teachers in the county. Thus, she is eligible for the statewide program.
In order to continue on, Ricciardi (and others who have been nominated in their respective counties) must submit an application and 15-minute DVD of their classroom instruction to the NJ Professional Education Port by May 21.
A panel of educators will determine the top five finalists who will be assembled in Trenton on Aug. 26 to pick a winner.
Life as an educator
Ricciardi lives in Woodbridge. A graduate of St. Peter’s College, she earned master’s degrees from St. Peter’s College and New Jersey City University. She is also an adjunct professor of education at St. Peter’s College.
She began teaching in Union City in 2003, but said she feels like she has been here “forever.”
Born and raised in Weehawken, Ricciardi began in the Union City school system as a substitute when she was still in college. She completed her student teaching at the Edison School and was a language arts teacher for six years before becoming a literacy coach last year.
Although her education background has prepared her for a career in school administration, Ricciardi isn’t giving that option much thought these days.
“I’m very happy doing what I’m doing,” she said. “I suppose if the opportunity were to present itself it would be something that I would love to try, but at this point I just try to be good at what I’m doing.”
In addition to the daytime responsibilities of her career, Ricciardi, a married mother of a 21-month old, said she, like many other teachers, also spends a lot of time after hours planning or attending school events.
“It certainly isn’t an 8 to 3 job if you’re doing it well,” she said.
Ricciardi is the third Union City School District teacher in the last five years to be honored with this award.
Lana Rose Diaz can be reached at ldiaz@hudsonreporter.com.