2021-2022 New Jersey Teacher of the Year
Mrs. Theresa Maughan
Subject & School: Social Studies Teacher at East Orange STEM Academy
Years of Service: 34 years
Education:
- Bachelor's degree in History and Education-Rutgers University
- Master's degree in Administration and Supervisor-New Jersey City University
- Mrs. Maughan is currently completing her 2nd Master's Degree in American History at Pace University
Achievements:
- National History Day Mentor: 2012-2013- National contest Bronze Medal winner-Senior Individual Performance-“Marcus Garvey: :Emergence of Black Nationalism”, 2012-2013 State Contest qualifier- "Melba Pattillo & the Little Rock Nine," 2013-2014-State finalist & national qualifier: “WWI: We Return Fighting/Turning Point in the Black Freedom Struggle”
- 2015-2017 NJ History Day judge/lead judge at the Regional & State Contest
- 2017-2018-State Contest finalist and National Contest qualifier- “Fannie Lou Hamer & the MFDP,” 2018-2019-State finalist “Moore v. Dempsey and the Elaine Massacre”
- 2020- Lead Judge in the Senior Individual Performance Category
- 2020-2021- Mentor to 16 Regional qualifiers & 6 State finalists
- 2021- NJ History Day lead judge at the State finals in the Junior Individual Documentary category.
- 2021 NJ History Day Senior Division Teacher of the Year, National History Day Nominee for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award
- In 2018, at the Amistad Commission Teacher Summer Institute, Mrs. Maughan gave a presentation about National History Day and NJ History Day to Amistad fellows. East Orange STEM Alumni, Anisaa Jean Pierre performed her NHD National qualifying project about Fannie Lou Hamer for the Amistad Summer Institute attendees.
Favorite Quote: "When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something." -John Lewis
Mrs. Maughan's mission to learn something new each day is transferred to her scholars via her love of knowledge and historical research. It has been Mrs. Maughan's mission to shatter the stereotype that scholars enrolled in urban school districts are often perceived as less capable to compete academically with their peers, so she encourages her scholars to participate in a host of local, state, and national contests. In each of these contests, her scholars succeeded as a finalist or winner. Mrs. Maughan is a lifelong learner who spends her spare time reading historical texts, attending professional development workshops, and spearheading book club initiatives. Mrs. Maughan works diligently to cultivate the "historical activist" in each of her scholars. Mrs. Maughan is an exceptional educator, and the East Orange School District is proud and honored that she was selected as the 2021-2022 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year!