In 2018, teacher Andria Zafirakou of London, England, was awarded the Global Teacher Prize by the Varkey Foundation. She teaches arts and textiles at Alperton Community School. The school is located in one of the UK’s poorest boroughs, Brent, where crime rates are high and gang presence is a huge problem.

Brent is one of the most ethnically diverse places in England. Officials count 130 languages are spoken in its schools. Students come from some of the poorest families in Britain, many sharing one house with five other families. The area has the third highest murder rate in the United Kingdom. Children arrive at the school with limited skills. They already feel isolated from staff and each other, making engaging with them all the more difficult and all the more vital.

The odds of succeeding with these kids are slim, but Andria defied them daily. Working as an art and textiles teacher and as a member of the senior leadership team tasked with earning the trust of her students and their families, she redesigned the curriculum across all subjects. She helped a music teacher launch a Somali school choir, and she created alternative timetables to allow girls-only sports that would not offend some of the more conservative communities.

No wonder Andria garnered the international award. She’s a true Chalkboard Champion. To learn more about her and her school, view the brief video below.