Brian Crossman Gets Middle School Teacher of the Year Award

MassTEC President Doug Shattuck, left. presents Brian Crossman with the Middle School Teacher of the Year Award on September 27, 2019. Photo by Andrew Patenaude.

By Judy Bass

LEXINGTON / ACTON - Brian Crossman’s mantel sure is getting crowded these days with hardware honoring his achievements.

As Acton-Boxborough’s indoor and outdoor boys’ track teams coach, he was inducted into the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association’s Athletes Hall of Fame in 2017. On September 27, 2019, Mr. Crossman received the Middle School Teacher of the Year Award from the Massachusetts Technology Education / Engineering Collaborative (MassTEC) during that organization’s annual conference at Fitchburg State University, which happens to be Mr. Crossman’s alma mater.

Along with instructor Andrew Patenaude, he teaches engineering at R.J. Grey Junior High School in Acton. Mr. Crossman is actually employed by Minuteman High School in Lexington, and works at R.J. Grey as part of Minuteman’s Middle School Outreach Partnership, which includes schools in Stow, Lancaster, and Bolton (Nashoba District), and R.J. Grey (Acton-Boxborough District).

According to www.minuteman.org, “the Minuteman Regional Vocational School District has partnered with in-district middle schools since 1991. The purpose of the program is to provide a bridge to Minuteman and surrounding communities with the faculty, equipment, tools, and talent for enriching the minds and technical skills of their students. This partnership provides access to a wide array of experts in many areas of technology and an equally wide range of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) equipment. Minuteman High School and the partnered middle schools share the responsibility to expose students to the many options available in STEM careers through project-based learning.”

Mr. Crossman was nominated for this award by Mr. Patenaude and has worked for Minuteman and R.J Grey for 20 years. He said that he attributes his success to a strict regimen of preparation, a knack for making the learning process enjoyable and memorable, and a careful avoidance of attacking students personally when disciplining them.

“We tell the kids we bring the best every day for them,” he said of himself and Mr. Patenaude. For Mr. Crossman, who grew up in Revere and attended Dom Savio High School, that means getting everything ready for that day’s lessons ahead of time “so you’re not scrambling at the last minute to put things together.”

A key tenet of his philosophy is “make it fun and real.” Mr. Crossman said, “I fool them into learning. I’m talking about the fun of discovery. Kids run to my class. That’s a big pleasure.”

A third principle he follows is never to go after a student personally when disciplining him or her. There should be “no attacking their soul,” he believes.

Mr. Crossman estimates that thousands of kids have passed through his classroom over the years, many of them on a path to big-time success. One student he remembers vividly is card magician Shin Lim, winner of season 13 of “America’s Got Talent” and “America’s Got Talent: The Champions.” Another standout grad of Mr. Crossman’s class is now with the Secret Service in San Francisco. He once told Mr. Crossman, “You taught me never to quit.”

Mr. Crossman, who is one of six children, was inculcated with a strong work ethic early in life by his parents, whom he respectfully calls “his greatest mentors.” He reflected, “I was always taught to just work.”

Mr. Patenaude is a fervent supporter of Mr. Crossman. “Working with Brian has been great. Kids run to his class and don’t want to leave once it’s over. He has been called the rock star of R.J. Grey. He has such a great way with kids, making his projects dynamic, exciting and challenging at the same time. His enthusiasm is contagious. When I student taught with Brian, I couldn’t wait to work with him every day. He is a great co-worker who really makes working for Minuteman at R J. Grey a pleasure.”

Minuteman High School’s $145 million, state-of-the-art facility, which opened in September 2019, has been designed to support a robust college and career academy model. The academy model was adopted by staff and administration to create smaller “schools within a school” thereby promoting more personalized learning founded upon close relationships between students and teachers. The Minuteman college and career academy model integrates rigorous academics with relevant technical programming in occupational areas providing individual economic opportunity.

The new facility will accommodate project-based learning across disciplines, requiring students to learn how to work on a diverse team, solve problems and think critically. These are essential 21st-century skills that students practice and apply in a variety of school- and work-based environments.

As an accredited member of the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC), Minuteman inspires all students to attain their full potential, accelerate their learning, and become purposeful citizens in the global community.

The public, including prospective students, will have several upcoming opportunities to acquaint themselves with Minuteman High School, its exceptional new facility, and the outstanding career and academic education available there.

On Wednesday, November 6, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Minuteman High School, located at 758 Marrett Road in Lexington, Parent Information Night will be held. On Sunday, November 17, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Middle School Exploratory Day will take place. Showcase Day for in-district eighth graders is on Thursday, November 21.

Students are encouraged to apply for admission now by visiting www.minuteman.org and going to the Admissions tab on the home page.

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