Hillsborough Teacher To Be Inducted In National Teachers Hall Of Fame

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Hillsborough High School teacher Robert Fenster was selected as one of only five career teachers to be inducted into The National Teachers Hall of Fame.

"Bob’s accomplishments in the classroom and his work ethic are an inspiration for any teacher who encounters him. He is an innovator who is never satisfied with settling for good or decent, always looking to challenge himself and his students. I know of no other teacher more deserving of this honor," said Robert Longo, a teaching colleague, who nominated Fenster.

Fenster was surprised on Wednesday with the news during an after-school debate club meeting along with Hillsborough principal Michele Fisher, her associate John Vitale, family, and friends. Fenster will become a member of the Class of 2022 of the 30th induction class for The National Teachers Hall of Fame.

A 28-year veteran of teaching, Fenster is a Social Studies teacher for 10th through 12th graders at Hillsborough High School. He is the fifth teacher from New Jersey to be inducted into The National Teachers Hall of Fame.

"Robert Fenster does with ease what I wish many, many more teachers were able to do. He engages students on a level where they reach understanding through inquiry, where they discuss rather than regurgitate, and where they demand excellence of their teacher because he demands excellence of his students. He is demanding, has extremely high expectations, cuts no corners, and refuses to settle for mediocrity in himself or his students," said Karen Bingert, his former Principal.

Fenster along with the other four teachers to be inducted from Connecticut, California, Ohio, and Arizona, will attend a series of recognition events in Emporia, Kansas.

The five inductees will also be honored at a reception hosted in May by the National Education
Association at their Washington DC headquarters—as a follow-up to Teacher Appreciation Week.

"Mr. Fenster’s teaching had such a profound impact on my life that I have mentioned it while testifying before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. I credit his classes and mentorship during my high school years not only with my interest in Political Science and international relations in college, which led me down the career path that took me to the halls of Congress, but also for instilling in me (and my classmates) the importance of being an active citizen. He is not only an excellent educator, but an empowering mentor, emboldening each student – male or female, quiet or outspoken, history buff or not – to truly shine," said a former student, Nina Jankowicz.

Fenster earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History/ Political Science in 1991 from Rutgers University, followed by his Master of Education degree in Social Studies Education in 1993, also from Rutgers. His teaching career started in 1993 at Hillsborough High.

In addition to his classroom work, he also sponsors Mock Trial, Model United Nations, Model Congress, the Podcasting Club, Amnesty International, and serves on the Township Recreation Committee. He is a member of the National Education Association, National Council for the Social Studies, and the National Council for History Education and has received numerous research fellowships over the years.

"I am different things to different students in the classroom: role model, authority figure, coach, advisor, motivator, maybe even surrogate parent at times. The needs of students vary as much as their outlooks. It is my official job to help them navigate the study of history and political science, but it is alarger responsibility to help them become active citizens and to encourage them to be the best people they can be. I genuinely look at my students as part of my extended family," said Fenster.

He received the 2021 Paul A. Gagnon Prize from the National Council for History Education, the 2019 Secondary Education Teacher of the Year Award from the New Jersey Council for Social Studies, the 2019 Law-Related Education Teacher of the Year Award from American Lawyers Alliance, and the 2017 Claes Nobel Top Ten Educator of the Year Award from the National Society of High School Scholars.