Mr. Siddiqui addresses the crowd at East Bridgewater Jr./Sr. High School after winning Teacher of the Year. (Twitter.com/Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education)
EAST BRIDGEWATER (WBZ-AM) -- It's the love of the job that makes Jamil Siddiqui happy to come to work every morning--and it's that love that resulted in him being honored as the 2019 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year.
Siddiqui was all smiles as students and staff at the East Bridgewater Jr./Sr. High School gathered to celebrate his accomplishment.
"It's just unbelievable, it's awesome," he told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens. "You go into teaching and you don't think about awards, you don't think about getting recognition. When it happens, it's nice. But I never expected anything like this. It's just an unbelievable day."
Siddiqui has taught math to East Bridgewater students for 24 years. He lives in town with his wife, who also teaches there.
According to a release from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, fourteen of Mr. Siddiqui's former students have gone on to become math teachers.
Siddiqui said loving your students and loving your subject are keys to success in teaching.
"And trying to get them excited about your subject, and radiate that excitement and they're interested," he said. "And then once they know that you care about them, there's a relationship that forms and you're working together to find the success."
“The success of Mr. Siddiqui’s students is a testament to his hard work and daily dedication as their math teacher,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in a release Tuesday. "His commitment to East Bridgewater Junior/Senior High School students is representative of Massachusetts teachers across every district in the Commonwealth who are preparing young people to be successful long after leaving the classroom.”
Siddiqui will now be the Bay State's candidate for the National Teacher of the Year award.
"If you're willing to give your best effort, we're going to help you as best we can," Siddiqui told the crowd.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports