Hello BIC Family –
I am writing to share that my friend, colleague, and fellow BIC member was recently recognized with the Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award for his amazing work as a teacher. He would never share this with you of his own volition, but I felt that it was important to share with this community. Patrick and I embarked on our BIC journey together in 2003 and reconnected when he was hired to teach 7th grade English at YES Prep Southeast, a charter school in Southeast Houston. The world of BIC is truly very small.
When you walk into Patrick’s classroom there is a palpable buzz of anticipation. Students are hanging on his every single word and light up as they encounter new places and themes through literature. Our students, most of which will be first generation college students, get to experience a little bit of the BIC every day. Patrick weaves interdisciplinary knowledge as students understand the cultural climate of House on Mango Street and they understand the science of viruses and pandemics as they read Fever. Not only are the anecdotes about Patrick’s class exciting, but his student achievement data is as well. 74% of his students met rigorous STAAR growth goals in 2023, after three years of disrupted learning due to COVID-19. Patrick achieves these results through strong relationships and integrated social-emotional learning with students. Students in his class learn to love each other, learning, and of course, the Baylor Bears.
All my best,
Bonnie (Rhoden) Schumacher, BIC class of 2007
