Award-Winning Educator In West Orange Uses Cartooning To Teach Kids

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Jay Wecht is a professional cartoonist and a public school teacher in the West Orange Public School District. And it makes for an effective mix – as well as an interesting one, his alma mater says.

Wecht, an English language arts teacher at Roosevelt Middle School, was recently named the Essex County Education Association's “Educator of the Year for Distinguished Service.” He has served in the district for 28 years, all of them spent at Roosevelt.

According to district administrators, those who visit Wecht’s classroom can immediately see signs of his “other” career. A toy collector, Wecht has two dozen displays situated throughout his room, collections that he changes every year.

Wecht says that he combines his two professional loves, using cartoons to teach: a model that earned him a Tom Gill Education Award from the National Cartoonist Society in 2016.

The recognition – and his most recent one from the Essex County Education Association – have inspired the local teacher to reach even higher. In keeping with his cartooning roots, every class that Wecht teaches begins with his displaying his cartoon tie, cartoon watch and cartoon socks, which change every day.

“It’s my daily ice-breaking activity, and it really seems to work,” he said.

“It’s important for me to note how much satisfaction I get when I see my students understanding what they’re reading and writing in a way they’ve never written before,” he continued. “Plus, I recognized early on that I could do much more than simply teach English here in West Orange.”

“Honestly, there are two important things for me as an educator,” Wecht said, adding that he puts a high value on lessons about “tolerance,” including Black history and the Holocaust.

“I want the kids to leave my classroom recognizing that school can be fun,” he said. “And if they leave my room in June a better person, then I’ve done my job.”

Wecht – who credits his peers and supervisors for being equally as talented – says that he has “gained so much” from being in the district. And that includes his wife, Marie, who retired from the district after 30 years teaching science to children with special needs. The two met at Roosevelt, back when the building housed sixth to eighth grade students.

“One of the most amazing things for me is the fact that I met my wife here, and now our son, Andrew, is going to be 20-years-old in June,” Wecht said.

“Life is very, very good,” he added.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch West Orange Facebook page.