Maryknoll U.S. History teacher Steven Caley has been named ‘Teacher of the Year’ by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Each year, three exceptional teachers are recognized by the VFW for their outstanding commitment to teach Americanism and patriotism to their students. The VFW annually recognize the nation’s top classroom elementary, junior high, and high school teachers who teach citizen education topics at least half of the school day in a classroom environment, and promote America’s history, traditions, and institutions effectively. Maryknoll School is proud to announce that the VFW has chosen to recognize Steven Caley as the 2015 high school division ‘Teacher of the Year.’
Having served in the Army infantry as an M60 machine gunner, Mr. Caley knows what it means to serve his country and embody patriotism. Caley has taught History for 17 years, American History for the past 6 years, and he has served Maryknoll for 9 years, teaching U.S. History. He consistently shows a commitment to his students and his nation by creating a classroom environment that fosters an understanding of national pride. At the beginning of his U.S. History class Caley asks his students, “What does it mean to be an American?” Throughout the course of study, the class revisits the question during different time periods and in regards to different peoples. “On the last day of the course the students answer the same question again,” Caley said, “and it is so powerful to see how they have evolved. Their evolution as students during my class mirrors that of our nation’s history: it is one facing the unknown, embracing adversity, with long periods of growth followed by challenging setbacks, mistakes, celebrations, excellence, and a continued desire to always improve. To read their responses makes me proud to be a teacher and an American.”
Commander Ron Lockwood of the VFW Post 8616 oversaw the nomination of Caley for the ‘Teacher of the Year’ award. “Mr. Caley’s nomination for Teacher of the Year was by Maryknoll based upon his efforts.” Lockwood said, “Mr. Caley had the entire student body asking questions to political candidates, and then lead them outside to hold a ‘Get Out and Vote’ sign-waving campaign. Having an entire school behind this project shows outstanding leadership skills and the ability to motivate people. The best thing people can take away from this is that Mr. Caley is a dedicated professional that pushes his students to excel. By offering new opportunities to learn, he helps prepare Maryknoll students for the years post high school.”
After being named ‘Teacher of the Year’ Caley said, “It really hit me at the award ceremony. I feel a deep respect for the members of the VFW, and to have them applaud me felt wholly undeserved, but so appreciated by me. My favorite memory of the awards celebration will be seeing my five-year-old daughter beaming with pride when I received the award. Earlier in the day she had received the ‘Dancer of the Day’ award at her jazz class, and when the ceremony ended she said to me, ‘Daddy, I am so proud of you! Teacher of the Year is almost as good as Dancer of the Day!’ I just laughed and agreed with her.”
According to Lockwood, “Mr. Caley is passionate about his work and family.” And while Caley has always held these traits, he was inspired to become a teacher after a specific realization. “I was an intern in the United Nations in India after college,” Caley said, “and we often engaged in conversations about the key to human development. Some diplomats would say the key was a strong economy, or good infrastructure of the government, or democracy. I always believed that the key to human development was education. With education; a strong economy, governmental infrastructure, and democracy are all sustainable, but without education none of them can last. With that epiphany, I decided to become a teacher.”
Caley has been instrumental in teaching students at Maryknoll how to celebrate their nation within the school community. “My philosophy is to teach students how to think, not what to think.” Caley said, “Many of the issues that our students will face in their lifetime are not even problems yet. So we need to create learners who can critically think and adapt in the 21st century.”
Please join Maryknoll School in congratulating Mr. Steven Caley on being named ‘Teacher of the Year’ by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. We are honored to know and work with such an exceptional man and educator.
Please join Maryknoll School in congratulating Senior Natalie Kamada on her recent acceptance into the John A. Burns School of Medicine’s (JABSOM) Doctor of Medicine Early Acceptance Program for fall, 2015.
