By Cassidy Davenport

After 10 years of teaching AP U.S. Government teacher Angela Cosimano was chosen as the Teacher of the Year for 2021.

“I’m happy and excited about [being chosen]. It’s nice to be recognized by my peers,” said Cosimano.

Cosimano believes the most important thing that a teacher can do is “to be there for them and make sure that they understand.” She added that teachers shouldn’t be there just academically, but “socially and emotionally and being there as a human being.”

“What I like most about teaching is sharing my passion and seeing other kids being interested in what I’m passionate about too,” she continued.  

According to Cosimano, being able to present a subject in a way that makes students intrigued and makes them care about the topic more than they did before, is the most important part about being a teacher. 

Two facts that not many of Cosimano’s students know about her is that she has run two half marathons and that she has been in Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow. 

Sophomore Zoe Davis, a student of Cosimano’s, said that the entire class was “shocked” the moment she was granted the award, because “just as the announcements said her name, Mr. Little and like all of the admin and her family came in the classroom and cheered her on. 

“It was amazing and such an uplifting thing to watch—like it was precious, not gonna lie. She started crying because she was so thrown off and then I started crying because I’ve known her since I was like six,” continued Davis.

According to Davis, Cosimano makes students eager to talk and learn about how politics shape people and how to express their views.

“She has helped me find my own voice and opinion about politics and our government,” said Davis. “She inspires us all, advocating for the youth constantly, and enforcing the belief that we can make a difference in our government if we remain involved.” 

Cosimano said that the reason U.S. government is such a huge passion for her is because people “do not realize that they have the ability to effect change. So many things could be different if people paid attention to what is going on around them and make their voice heard by voting, campaigning, running for office or writing letters to their elected representatives.”

Cosimano said that the best way to be a good teacher is, “Don’t be bad, have good lessons.”