Shap(👁️)ro not Shap(🇪)ro

When asked if there was anyone who inspired her as a child, she paused and thought hard. Her face lit up as she remembered her 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Silverman, whom she absolutely loved. Ms. Shapiro described her as “the sweetest person:” a teacher who always made her feel welcome. It was Mrs. Silverman, a long term sub, who first inspired Ms. Shapiro’s love of education, and when she left, Ms. Shapiro cried. She recalls that around that time, she started to realize “I wanted to emulate her. I wanted to be her. I wanted to literally be that teacher.” Ms. Shapiro gives her whole heart to her students, and is proud to say that once she gets to know them, they bond with her in that same way.

Today, Ms. Shapiro returns to Masterman as the 6th grade ELA and Science teacher and proud advisor of 6-3. She is currently involved with the Homework Club on Tuesday afternoons, and is excited to bring partnership programs with the Kimmel Center to Masterman’s sixth graders. Ms. Shapiro loves teaching middle schoolers, admitting that she lacks the patience for younger grades: “I’m sweet, but I’m more like tough love.” She values the ability to have high expectations of her students, to “just talk” to them, and to teach life lessons-- showing them “Homework is not just homework. It's about life. It’s about deadlines...you’re going to have deadlines forever.”

This year, Ms. Shapiro feels she’s begun to connect with her students, even through the screen. Especially during virtual learning, empathy is key. As for how students can help teachers during virtual learning, Ms. Shapiro’s suggestions were simple. She simply wants her students to have high expectations for themselves, stay healthy and safe, and to feel that they can come talk to her at any time. Like many other teachers, Ms. Shapiro asks that students keep their cameras on whenever possible. The video not only shows teachers that the student is actively involved in class, but also helps maintain a somewhat normal routine. When cameras are off, teachers see either the student’s name or an image. These “avatars or Elmos,” as Ms. Shapiro referred to them, replace the student behind the screen. “It is hard enough teaching virtually, and I’m certainly not going to teach to Elmo,” she remarked with a laugh. It’s the little things that help teachers, who are doing their best as we all find our way through uncharted territory.

Ms. Shapiro always says she teaches with three hats: the student she used to be, the teacher she is, and the parent she has become. She strives to ensure that all her kids are getting the best opportunities to learn, from a perspective of how she, herself, would want to be taught. As a teacher, she tries to be “fair and firm,” and as a parent she aims to bond with and relate to both students and their parents.

As a child, Ms. Shapiro challenged her teachers, and was mischievous with a hint of rebelliousness. She simply did not want to sit in a chair all day and be told what to do. She slipped through the cracks of her teachers’ attention, left restless for challenge and rigor. “I was that annoying child, but I [understand] the annoying child now, you know?” she added with a gentle laugh. Sometimes, even the best of teachers can miss a student screaming for help right before their eyes. Like many others, Ms. Shapiro tries her best to be the teacher she wishes she had. She always has a close relationship with students whose experiences she relates to. She wants all her students to know that she sees them, and she won’t let them slip through the cracks.

Ms. Shapiro recalls only a few times in her life when she doubted taking the path to teaching. Among the possible job contenders: hair stylist, occupational therapist, waitress, and lawyer, all of which were short-lived and quickly shot down. Her mother demanded she “go be something,” and so she did. When Ms. Shapiro got the position at Masterman, it was like a dream; she “felt like she died and went to heaven.” If she hadn’t kept in touch with the people she kept in touch with, Ms. Shapiro doesn’t know if she’d be where she is today. “Personal connection shows people who you are as a person,” she added. Her advice: “Don’t lose sight of who your friends are.” Maintaining important relationships and understanding the importance of connections has helped Ms. Shapiro get to where she is today.

On a lighter note, Ms. Shapiro mentioned small things she thought her students might enjoy knowing. She loves to go to the movies, reading on the beach, and her dog, Stella Bella Blue. “Who doesn’t like to go to a movie and read a book on the beach,” she remarked. She “insanely loves” coffee, especially from Starbucks, and loves taking long drives. She doesn’t care how long or where, it’s the drive that matters most.

As for the future, Ms. Shapiro plans on staying at Masterman forever. She says she’s “never leaving again,” at least for the 14 years left before retirement. She is grateful for the opportunity to return to the same job she had 17 years ago. “When does that ever happen,” she added. Ms. Shapiro even hopes to return to Masteman as a substitute teacher one day. Afterall, Masterman is her dream. In the words of Edgar Allan Poe, and Shaprio’s favorite quote, “All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream.”

Here are some of Ms. Shapiro’s favorite things:

Color: teal blue

Animal: dog

Song: Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey

Book: The Great Gatsby

Quote: “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream” Edgar Alan Poe

Movies: When Harry Met Sally, WIzard of Oz, Sleepless in Seattle, Annie, St. Elmo’s Fire, Sixteen Candles

Food: Pizza

Dessert: Key Lime Pie, but she loves soft pretzels more

Birthday: January 1

Subject: Science

Season: Fall (but she might be dismayed/dissuaded by the current season)

Place you’ve worked: Masterman

Place you’ve been: Israel