At this week's Round Table, Kenisha, Madeline, and Maya spoke with Paul Gabbey, a fantastic teacher of AP Government & Politics/MacroEconomics at Penfield High School in Rochester, NY for the last 28 years–a school that he himself graduated from. Mr Gabbey is the kind of teacher you wish everyone could have–creative, kind, and inspiring, registering thousands of students to vote; supporting many former students in getting involved in local, state, and federal politics; and hosting the biggest political party in Monroe County every four years to make Election Night memorable. We talked about how to teach politics in a productive way at the nexus of history and current events; the challenges of teaching in a time of hyper polarization AND of preparing students for the AP test WHILE making content relevant and relatable; and the power of an interdisciplinary approach in doing so. Mr Gabbey’s key emphasis is on involvement- you can't sit on the sidelines and expect things to get done. He wants to help students to see that politics and government–and teaching!-- can be a noble profession and that making a difference is key. It’s very evident how much of a difference Mr Gabbey has made on the lives of his students–and now on you. Thank you for listening!
