Teacher Who Broke Down Over Prince's Death Wins Teaching Prize

COLLEGE PARK, GA -- At a surprise announcement in his classroom, Matthew Patterson, a 12th grade English teacher at Banneker High School, learned he was one of four teachers nationwide to win the 2016 Fishman Prize for Superlative Classroom Practice, a $25,000 award recognizing the nation’s most effective teachers working in high-need public schools.

The announcement was made May 17.

Patterson made national headlines last month when a student videotaped him reacting emotionally, but stoically, to the news that music icon Prince had died. The 10-second video, “When My Teacher Found Out Prince Died,” went viral and showed the educator wiping away tears and then playing a Prince song for his students, leading to a topical conversation of current events. What was a sad moment became an educational one as Patterson found yet another way to connect with his students.

Patterson talked to his class about how much Prince meant to him and his generation. He then recalled the time he saw Prince in person at Philips Arena, where the musician captivated a sold-out audience with an acoustic guitar performance.

Ironically, Prince's final performance was in Atlanta at the Fox Theatre.

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The Fishman Prize is extremely selective, boasting thousands of nominations each year and nearly 800 teacher applications in 2016. The applicants undergo a six-month selection process in which they submit essays, teaching videos, and letters of reference, and agree to an unannounced in-person classroom observation. Ten finalists were selected for in-person interviews with an expert panel of judges in New York City before four were ultimately named winners.

“Matthew Patterson does more than just teach kids; he inspires them. He wants to make a real difference in the lives of students who need his positive influence the most,” said Kenneth Zeff, the school system’s interim superintendent. “He finds ways to connect with the students in his classes and to apply the lessons of the real world to the curriculum. He listens to their music, follows their social media trends, and engages their parents to stay involved at a time [high school] when they traditionally step back. His passion pays off.”

After graduating college and earning his teaching certificate, Patterson returned home to Atlanta to teach at Banneker High School, a historically struggling school. Alongside his colleagues, Patterson has been working to change the school’s reputation. And he’s getting results: For six of his 10 years at Banneker, his students have been the only students in the school to pass any Advanced Placement exam. Also, under his leadership, his students see a drastically lower occurrence of discipline referrals than before entering his class.

“Mr. Patterson is a tremendous educator and has an undeniable commitment to his students and their development,” Banneker High School Principal Duke J. Bradley. “He is driven by the opportunity to see his students come into a realization of themselves and their abilities. Our teachers and students alike have learned so much about compassion, empathy, and belief from Mr. Patterson.”

This summer, Patterson will join the three other Fishman Prize winners for a six-week residency with TNTP, where they will meet with education leaders across the country and write essays capturing their insights as expert practitioners in the classroom.