Teacher of the Month: Joe Maiorana, Alliance Middle School

NAME – Joe Maiorana

SCHOOL – Alliance Middle School

RESIDENCE – Columbiana

HIGH SCHOOL ALMA MATER – Crestview High School

COLLEGE – Youngstown State University for bachelor's degree. I am currently working on my master's degree in educational leadership at Ashland University.

FAMILY – Wife, Cassie; son Luke, 12; daughter Aubrey, 10; and two dogs, Ziggy, a bernedoodle, and Willow, a mini labradoodle.

WHAT SUBJECTS DO YOU TEACH? – I am currently an intervention specialist for sixth grade math and language arts.

WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB? – The best part of my job is working with students to help them learn and do things that they didn't think they were capable of.

WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF YOUR JOB? – The most challenging part of my job is keeping up with the changes that are always present in education.

WHAT SECRET TO SUCCESS WOULD YOU SHARE WITH STUDENTS? – A secret to success I would share with students is to listen to the advice of positive adults in their lives. Whether that comes from parents, family members, teachers or coaches. Often, kids don't realize how much the adults in their lives are pulling for them to succeed. Learn from the mistakes of others to give yourself all the advantages you can to achieve success.

IS TEACHING KIDS THE SAME TODAY AS WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED? – I would say that in general teaching kids is the same as when I first started. However, the ways in which we teach students and their needs are always changing and evolving.

YOUR STUDENTS WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT YOU … – play ice hockey on a men's league team.

WHAT IS YOUR HIDDEN TALENT? – My hidden talent is that I can wiggle my ears.

IF YOU WEREN’T A TEACHER, YOU’D BE … – I'd have some type of job in sports.

AFTER A LONG DAY AT WORK, WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO RELAX? – The best way to relax is by spending time with family and friends. I also enjoy watching sports and rooting for my favorite teams.

Other nominees:

Alliance

Kellie Sanor, preschool at Alliance Preschool – Kellie is a perfect early childhood educator. She is consistent, kind, hard working and sets a great example for our preschool team.

Joe Maiorana, intervention specialist for sixth grade math at Alliance Middle School – Mr. Maiorana steps in to support our school in whatever capacity needed.  He did a wonderful job this past summer leading our summer school program.

Canton City

Ashley Allen, fifth grade at Worley – Ashley is always trying new ways to get her students to engage in lessons. She is also a team player who is always ready to help her colleagues.

Lisa Grubish, sixth grade at Bulldog Virtual Academy – Lisa loves her students – that is one thing that is very obvious when you visit her classroom. She has high expectations for them, but her expectations for herself to provide engaging lessons are even higher.

Canton Local

Lia Leahy, intervention specialist at Faircrest Memorial Elementary School – Lia Leahy serves as an accomplished intervention specialist, embodying an unwavering commitment to the principles of "Every Child, Every Minute, Every Day." Her dedication is evident in her tireless efforts to assist students and educators, fostering an environment where everyone can reach their highest potential.

Fairless Local

Logan Bing, kindergarten intervention – Logan goes above and beyond for the students and staff at Fairless Elementary. She is knowledgeable, caring, and always encourages others to do their best. As a teacher leader, she inspires and guides other teachers, sharing her expertise and helping create a positive learning environment for everyone!

Jackson Local

Alex Robinson, third grade – Alex is dedicated to fostering a positive and calming learning environment. She takes the time to understand each student’s strengths and creates lessons to accommodate different learning styles, ensuring students feel valued and supported. She partakes in district initiatives and seamlessly integrates best practices into her teaching methods, ultimately benefitting our students’ learning experiences.

Lake Local

Matt Westfall, STEAM, AP calculus, algebra 2 – After several years of success teaching almost every Math course and, most notably, our AP Calculus students, Matt Westfall is now taking on the additional challenge of developing and implementing a STEAM program for students in grades 10 through 12. While his vision for this program is ambitious, Mr. Westfall is on a mission to provide students with experiences that are relevant and that, in time, will prove to be beneficial to our local businesses and community. The success of the STEAM program is inevitable when placed in the hands of a professional who cares deeply about his students and who values what he does.

Jessica Tozzi, first grade – This summer she spent many hours working on creating a curriculum map for the school's new SEL curriculum. Jessica worked alongside another team member to create a PD (Ted Lasso style) for the roll out of the curriculum that was presented to the staff in early August. Jessica also serves on the school's PBIS data team where she helps to create and analyze monthly behavior and attendance data. On top of all of her work she does to support staff with PBIS, she has created a classroom environment that allows all of her students to express how they are feeling in all aspects of their lives.  Lake Primary is lucky to have such an amazing colleague who always has the overall development of students at the forefront of her mind!

Louisville

Valerie Staley, second grade – Mrs. Staley is an amazing second grade teacher. All of her lessons are well thought out and planned to make sure they are accessible to all students. Val ensures that her delivery is engaging and that students understand that everyday is a new day and to always put forth their best effort.  Mrs. Staley is calm and nuturing and provides an environment which every child feels safe and valued. North Nimishillen Elementary is proud to recognize Mrs. Valerie Staley!

Marlington Local

Heather Sharkey, first grade – Mrs. Heather Sharkey serves as a first-grade teacher, district leadership team member, and supportive colleague at Lexington Elementary School. She works tirelessly to establish strong relationships with students and families. Not only does she develop well organized instruction and classroom routines that support students and their individual needs, but she is always seeking professional learning to grow as a teacher. I can always count on Mrs. Sharkey to not only go above and beyond for her students, but to lead with a positive attitude in our building. For this reason, Mrs. Heather Sharkey is September Teacher of the Month!

Bret Pendergast, band director – Mr. Bret Pendergast is our band director and balances his duties between the high school and middle school. Over the summer, Bret has devoted countless hours to our band students and helping them prepare for the upcoming season. Between practices, parades, camps, football games, competitions, and concerts, Bret is always a positive influence on our students and provides them meaningful experiences. He always finds ways to challenge his students and get them to grow.

Massillon

Sharon Mulligan, kindergarten at Franklin Elementary – Sharon is a kindergarten teacher at Franklin Elementary.  She creates an atmosphere of learning can be fun in the classroom. She brings passion and creative lessons to the classroom every day. Sharon makes the first year of elementary school very inviting and exciting. She is a great teammate and a wonderful person in the Franklin family.

Sam Bushman, English at Washington High School – Ms. Bushman teaches English at Massillon Washington High School. Her positive, upbeat, and joyful nature resonates with students. Ms. Bushman utilizes all of the available time she has to build strong relationships and connections with her students, both in the classroom and out of the classroom when she extends herself to coach. We are thankful to have Ms. Bushman in the high school, as she continues to make a positive impact upon the lives of our students each and every day.

Northwest Local

Megan Brady, Spanish II, III, IV, Spanish CCP – Megan is a masterful educator. She teaches Spanish with extraordinary passion and patience, and does so with an unrelenting commitment to her kids. She inspires her students to love Spanish and learning to become better versions of themselves, thus shaping the character and future of her students in a positive and meaningful way.

Osnaburg Local

Jason Hall, business teacher − Jason Hall is an exemplary educator who deserves to be recognized as the Canton Repository Teacher of the Month. With his unwavering dedication, Jason takes on multiple roles within the school community, teaching Business Foundations and Financial Foundations while also serving as the district's technology coordinator. His commitment to enhancing the learning experience is truly commendable, as he has invested countless extra hours during the summer to ensure that both staff and students have access to technology resources for the 2023-24 school year. Moreover, his involvement doesn't stop there; Jason extends his passion for mentorship and leadership by coaching volleyball for East Canton. His holistic approach to education and his willingness to go the extra mile make him a standout educator in our community. Congratulations, Jason Hall, on this well-deserved recognition!

Perry Local

Amy Elson, second grade – Amy is a top notch educator who goes above and beyond to help her kids grow. She continues to excel each year and she always has a smile on her face. Her students acheive at a high rate and her compassion for her students is second to none

Lea Daut, high school English – Lea is the lifeblood of Perry High. She is dedicated and is an active part of most major events at PHS. Between balancing her classes, organizing school dances, and working to get her students ready for all aspects of life, Lea has built a legacy at Perry!

Plain Local

Jessica Lauer, Avondale Elementary literacy specialist – Mrs. Jessica Lauer … is the lead teacher that drives our literacy learning and teaches the top tier of literacy intervention to our students.  Mrs. Lauer is an admirable role model for her dedication to life long learning.  She is a trainer for the implementation of LETRS for teachers.  She serves on the Board of Directors for the International Dyslexia Association of Northern Ohio. Most recently she was chosen to participate as an Ohio Teacher Leader Liaison with the Ohio Teacher Leader Network. Mrs. Lauer's passion for literacy instruction and changing instructional practices in reading have positively impacted the students and staff of Avondale. We value her expertise, knowledge, and passion for making certain that all students are readers. Her energy is contagious and we value having Mrs. Lauer lead us in the charge to prevent reading failure in the early grades.  Congratulations, Mrs. Lauer!  We are all "Watching you SOAR" in Leadership!

Scott Ferrell, ninth grade science – Scott Ferrell is a master at building relationships with students and we are blessed to have in Plain Local for 34 years as a science teacher and Head Cross Country and Track coach.  Mr. Ferrell focuses on developing the whole child in a student or athlete, he builds confidence in them and provides them the support to continue to do better each day.

Sandy Valley Local

Tina Loomis, fifth grade – Sandy Valley's fifth graders are greeted daily by Mrs. Loomis' bright smile! Mrs. Loomis creates many hands-on science lessons and intriguing activities to help her students gain a greater understanding of scientific concepts. She also uses a variety of technology to further enhance learning in her classroom.

Sebring Local

Jeanelle Thorn, seventh to ninth grade math – Mrs. Thorn easily adapted to a new assignment with new curriculum and showed great leadership capacity as she accepted the coordinator role of our award winning PBIS program. Her instruction is student centered by meeting them where they are and creating lessons that grow each student.

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Teacher of the Month: Joe Maiorana, Alliance Middle School