Teacher of the Year: Joseph A. Almeida (C’05)
June 11, 2010
Two experiences during his student years stand out for Joseph Almeida: Meeting Sen. Joe Biden while ushering during Commencement and competing nationally with Groove Theory, Georgetown’s first co-ed hip-hop dance group. After graduating from Georgetown, Almeida joined Teach for America and began his service in Philadelphia. He currently teaches fifth grade math in New York City. In 2007, Almeida was recognized by Teach for America with the National Sue Lehmann Excellence in Teaching Award—what he calls one of his life milestones.
From a very young age, Almeida knew he wanted to teach. In high school he volunteered at a community center, during college breaks he worked as a substitute teacher and in the summers he volunteered at Outward Bound. Motivated by the desire to make a difference in young people’s lives, he says, teaching gives him a “great sense of collective action.”
Video courtesy of Georgetown University Witness to History. For the full interview, click here.
Photo courtesy of Teach for America.
