Congratulations, Mr. Durante—2018-19 Teacher of the Year!
Below are a few of the reasons Mr. Durante’s colleagues chose him.
He is a dedicated teacher who is always available to help students. He is at school early before classes start and late past 3:30. He collaborates with other teachers and always has student’s best interest in mind. Students love him, teachers love him and I would love him to be recognized as teacher of the year so he can close his teaching career and move on into retirement being recognized as the great educator he is.
Outstanding rapport with students and staff.
AP teacher. LA3 teacher. Unity Club advisor. Anime Club advisor. Dance Club advisor. LA3 Curriculum and Development Team member. SAT prep course instructor. Extended day teacher. After school tutor. AP Summer Institute alum. And the list goes on and on. It goes to show just how huge of a positive impact Mr. Durante has had here at PHS. It is such a pleasure to work alongside Mr. Durante. He is so full of fresh ideas and so passionate about what he teaches. He is always open to new suggestions and so encouraging to others. He is not afraid to be honest and speak his mind but does so with the utmost professionalism and courtesy. And yet he is so humble that he will most likely tell you not to vote for him for Teacher of the Year, even though he deserves the recognition tenfold. Whether or not his name and image grace the poster hung on the wall in the Admin building, I believe Mr. Durante is an exemplary teacher that we all ought to strive to be like someday.
Mr. Durante embodies every element that makes up a teacher of the year. His unwavering dedication to every single student is commendable. He not only cares for the students in his classroom but for all students at PHS. He brings a positive attitude to every professional development, department meeting and school-wide meeting. The Language Arts department depends on Mr. Durante to be a voice of reason and to be someone who is always willing to lend a helping hand. He is the advisor for the unity club, and the members will be the first to say that Mr. Durante is a mentor and advocate for all students at PHS. Please make this much loved teacher, colleague, and all around angel on earth the 2018-2019 teacher of the year.
