Educator Angel Santiago of Blackwood, New Jersey, has been named his state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Angel Santiago.

Congratulations go to educator Angel Santiago of Blackwood, New Jersey, who has been named his state’s 2021Teacher of the Year. Angel teaches Language Arts to fifth graders at Loring Flemming Elementary School.

Angel says he owes his successes in the classroom to his passion for fostering strong relationships with his students, their families, his colleagues, and the community in which he serves. In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Angel is the facilitator of the group Young People of Character (YPOC). This group of fourth and fifth graders, who come from different socio-economic backgrounds, participate in various community service projects to promote teamwork, empathy, and personal growth. Some of the projects the group has been involved in include writing letters to veterans for Veterans Day, cleaning up the school grounds for Earth Day, and volunteering during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. “Community outreach is a great example of how a rural community like mine uses empathy, teamwork, and leadership to teach our students life lessons without using textbooks or assessments, but rather our hands and our hearts,” asserts Angel.

The honored educator has taught his entire professional career in Camden County. In 2012 he began teaching in the Lindenwold Public Schools, and in 2013 he moved to Gloucester Township Public Schools where he continues to teach.

Angel graduated from New Jersey’s Fairleigh Dickinson University. He earned both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Humanities. In addition, he is a member of both Phi Theta Kappa and Kappa Delta Pi Honor Societies.

To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, see this article published online by the New Jersey Education Association.