 I'm a firm believer in what we know as 21st century skills, and that includes things like having my students learn how to collaborate. Ooh, I like this. Critical thinking is part of it. I really don't even use a textbook. Yes Wilson, take it away. And I'm really, really happy when I see them go to the podium. 1974. They kind of take turns trying to teach us. Ms. Maughan, she is a mentor, a model for education. Her tenure in the classroom is decades at this point, and what I love most about her is that you can't tell. She remains current, she remains with the times. So what happened before 1974? I am a social studies teacher, and so at the core of our content area is the concept of democracy. Here in New Jersey, one of the most diverse states in the nation, we understand that that diversity is our strength, but students need to see that and understand that everybody has contributed to history in so many ways. One thing she did daily was a black history fact. You can just see it that she wanted us to know black history outside of Martin Luther King or Rosa didn't give up her seed. As a parent, I wanted her to be her teacher because I knew that she was going to come away with more than textbook knowledge. With this National History Day project, do you feel a connection to your topic? I felt her presence throughout the class. It wasn't like she was just reading off a script or a piece of paper. She was actually trying to connect with the students. I truly believe she teaches the whole curriculum. She delves deep into history, and she brings history alive for her kids. Where are my state competitors? Here, there are some new additions. So Mrs. Mann is the lead teacher of the 1619 Project at STEM Academy. Dr. Melissa Jones and myself, we took on the charge of wanting to join forces with her. And we applied for the opportunity to have our students engage in research, and we focused on race, medicine, and health equity. Where does this fear of the medical community come from? And what do we need to do to move beyond it? I've seen students spend countless hours here working on her projects by themselves with their peers. You can see that she allowed them to have a voice, so they were confident in voicing their opinions and voicing how they felt. She helped to get you to that place that you need to be and learning and growing and becoming the best version of yourself. We're in the business of helping students to feel successful. And in order for that to happen, we have to understand what their needs are. We have to ensure that students see themselves reflected in the curriculum. None of this can work out unless we really deliberately, with intent, move in a direction that creates a more equitable experience.