Teacher Appreciation Week: Brian Donohue at Jackson Heights

Glens Falls City School District recognizes national Teacher Appreciation Week by highlighting committed and enthusiastic teachers from every one of our schools each day of the week! Read on for an inside interview with Brian Donohue—one of the most dynamic teachers around our district.

Mr. Donohue is a fourth grade teacher at Jackson Heights elementary school. He holds degrees from 
SUNY Adirondack, SUNY Plattsburgh, and St. Joseph's of Vermont, where he earned his Master's. He has been teaching for 30 years total: 16 of those in fifth grade at Kensington, and 14 of those in fourth grade at Jackson Heights.

Fun fact about Mr. Donohue: His favorite hobby is boating on Lake George!

"Beyond educating students, Mr. Donohue has enriched student lives through his leadership in after-school sports and Kids on the Run," says Jackson Heights Principal Ryan Estey. "He helped start and sustain a community-building fun run for students around the school in the spring, and has coordinated charitable donations on behalf of faculty and staff for several years with the dress-down fund. His positive impact will endure long after his final year with us concludes."

What do you do to engage your students? What makes your teaching and learning style or environment unique?

I have always believed in making each and every student feel and believe that they are the only ones I am there for while teaching. Making them feel good about themselves makes them a better person and stronger student. I believe that learning students behaviors and learning styles I can as an educator make that closer convection to the individual student.  

Why do you think it's important to teach the way you do?

Connecting to students each and every day gives many students a person to go to and believe in today's challenging society.

Describe your best lesson ever, or one you and students really enjoy.

Equivalent fractions is a lesson where the students learn without realizing that they are learning fractions. They think it is a silly and fun activity till they discover what they did in the lesson. We simply start off with a sheet of blank paper folded in half, I then have the students lightly shade in one half of the paper and then fold it back up and fold it once more. Then after pretending we have magical powers vibrating through our forehead with humming noises we then open up the paper to magically see 2/4 pieces shaded hence the same value but different fraction terms. We do this till 16/32 and then the students can follow the pattern and predict the next few equivalent fractions. Silly, but the kids love it. 

What's the best thing about GF Nation?

There are many great things about being a part of GF Nation. The students and parents make our jobs enjoyable and fulfilling. Their daily support of all of us make our jobs so rewarding.