Giovanni Pena
Oyster-Adams Bilingual School, 3rd Grade, Teacher for 5 years, Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award 2011 Winner
Teacher Giovanni Pena | Photo by Dianne Bradley
Teacher Giovanni Pena | Photo by Dianne Bradley
Mr. Giovanni Peña teaches third grade dual language at Oyster-Adams Bilingual School.
In 2011, Mr. Peña was one of 21 Agnes Meyer Award winners chosen from around DC and the surrounding counties. The goal of the Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Awards is to recognize excellence in teaching, to encourage creative and quality instruction and to contribute in a substantive way to the improvement of education in the Washington metropolitan area.
At Oyster-Adams, he has assisted in designing a cohesive elementary curriculum for all subjects in grades one through five. He is also deeply involved in extra-curricular activities at Oyster-Adams. As head of the Student Council, he coordinates student government voting and speech assemblies, volunteer projects, and fundraising efforts. Under his leadership, students participated in an International Day and organized a lunch for the homeless.
Mr. Peña’s passion for the teaching profession and investment in his students’ success is evident to all. His after-school Brain Quest Club and weekend study trips to explore various DC neighborhoods, see plays, and visit museums are enthusiastically attended by students and their families.
Parents regularly share their appreciation for his close communication and describe how, with his support and encouragement, even the most reserved students become self-assured, active class participants.
In fact, he was so beloved by his students last year that parents requested he ‘loop’ with his second graders and continue as their third grade teacher this year.
One parent shared:
“The adjustment to the bilingual program was a challenge for my daughter, and our family was overwhelmed by the kindness and nurturing that Mr. Peña showed her in those first difficult days. He made sure to establish a strong, trusting relationship with her and to check in with us regularly. She quickly gained confidence and is now thriving in class.”
Mr. Peña received his B.A. from Cabrini College and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Teaching with a focus on English as a Second Language and a certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from American University. Prior to joining DCPS in 2008, he taught in charter schools in DC and Philadelphia.
Why did you become a teacher?
It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do—since I was 8. My mom was a social worker and she used to get a lot of teacher manuals and textbooks donated. She would bring them home and I would play school. Throughout high school when people were trying to figure out what they wanted to do, I always just knew I wanted to be a teacher.
Who was your best teacher and why?
It was my English/Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Sheftall, in high school my senior year. I always tried to get away with doing the minimum, and she never let me get away with it. She refused. She was my friend’s mother and I would see her after school at the house, and she would talk to me and wouldn’t give up. She was so persistent and I left not even liking her!
A year later during my freshman year in college, I had to do my first research paper, and I knew how to do it in exactly the method I was taught. I did well and called her and thanked her.
What is one thing a student has taught you about being a better teacher? How did he/she do it?
One student that comes to mind, and more than one even now, showed me that teaching is about a lot more than academics. For one student I remember in particular, it was about building something between us.
Before the academics could happen, he had to build trust between him and an adult. Once when he was down I asked if he wanted a hug and he said, “Oh, no, no,” and I said “Okay, that’s fine, but if you ever need one I’m here.” Then he came to me on his own later, once we had trust. Beyond academics we had to build that social piece.
Talk about a time a student inspired you or exceeded your expectations.
There are so many. The most recent was when we were writing adventure stories. My lower group of students is working together writing an adventure story based on the book Tuesday. It was just yesterday I went over their stories, which they had written in pairs.
They went above and beyond what I had asked, making their stories rhyme, using similes throughout the stories─which we had talked about in class─and pushing to use the dictionary and thesaurus. They were our showcase for the week.
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