LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Lottery has played a big role in funding education in our state, which is why it has teamed up with FOX 47 News to recognize excellent educators state-wide.
Sean Sabo, an advanced placement English and acting teacher at Pioneer High School, is this week's Michigan Lottery Excellence in Education award winner.
Sabo was nominated for the award by the parent of a student.
“Sean Sabo has been an incredibly successful teacher for more than two decades, focusing on developing students writing and critical thinking skills. He built his classes around books, speeches, poems, and essays that he chose himself, making sure to expose students to a wide range of voices and styles. Sean’s students, including my son, particularly appreciated the extensive feedback that he provided to them. Last year, he graded 13 essays per student and wrote a paragraph of comments on each one. With ninety students, that required hundreds of hours of work outside of class, all aimed at helping his students become better writers. In addition, every quarter he asked students to present original work to the class orally; again, he provided each student with a full paragraph of notes on each presentation. Sean Sabo doesn’t let his students off easy. He expects them to do steady, difficult work and to meet a high standard. Most importantly, he motivates his students to meet that standard by showing them, through his extensive feedback on their work, that he cares about their progress and success. He often encouraged students to share their work outside the classroom and enter it into competitions. The results of his effort and encouragement show in stronger writing, numerous awards in competitions, and high AP scores.”
Sabo said his love of reading and writing attracted him to a career in education.
“I’ve always loved stories whether books, plays, or movies; I’ve also always loved engaging people in discussions of ‘big’ topics, which I would do regularly as a teen and young adult. I started out wanting to be a professor but stopped at a master’s degree when I discovered how focused the field was on theory rather than teaching. I got certified to teach with the hope of sharing my love for books and writing with students.”
Sean Sabo was recognized with a $2,000 check from the Michigan Lottery!
Click here to watch the full interview
Want to see more Excellent Educators? Visit the FOX47News Website.
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