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By JUDY L. RANDALL STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE George Anthony: Prized for giving teens a purposeVeteran teacher is a dynamic role model, giving youngsters sage advice and showing them that choices matter By JUDY L. RANDALL STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- All other accolades aside, the sweetest testimonial any teacher can receive is from his students. So while Susan E. Wagner High School teacher George Anthony said he is both thrilled and grateful to have been named this year's recipient of the Excellence in Education Awards, the admiration he's earned from the teens he works with each day means just as much. "He gave me choices, he gave me a purpose, he gave me priceless knowledge," said Susan Wagner senior Henry Martinez. "He gave me a positive role model.""His drive, his dedication to what he teaches just spreads," said junior Francine Ndjatou. "He is like a father figure to me," said junior Austin Brooks. The 2007 Excellence in Education Awards program is presented by Staten Island Academy in cooperation with the Staten Island Advance and the borough's business community. Actually, the word "teacher" doesn't begin to describe Anthony, 48, who was born in Brooklyn, raised in Westerleigh and now lives in New Jersey with his wife and two young children. Yes, he teaches psychology and sociology at Susan Wagner. But he is also a trained conflict resolution/peace educator. He also teaches and mentors teens in peer mediation and has received rave notices for his student-centered workshop presentations on a variety of topics, including use of the "N" word. Videos of the workshops, like another celebrated one on bullying, have been distributed to organizations around the world. Anthony likens the curriculum he's developed for students to taking them on a "two-year journey where they are taught skills in conflict management, anti-bias education and leadership presentation." Most recently, he accompanied his students from the school's Peer Mediation Life Center to the United Nations for a special presentation of "The Space Between," an original work about ethnic and religious conflicts in families and the global community. He and his students called the experience profound. "The students trained in Mr. Anthony's program become active peer mediators, not only in their school, but in their communities and often in their own homes," explained Susan Wagner social studies teacher Gina Simo, who was among those who recommended him for the award. Through Anthony, she added, the students "teach others to open their minds to the valuable concept of understanding and appreciating the values and differences of people in every culture." Anthony said he discovered his "calling" to be a teacher when he was a fifth-grader at PS 30 in Westerleigh. His "inspiration" was his teacher, Charles Eberle. "When Mr. Eberle came into the classroom, he made it a safe place to be," recalled Anthony. "When I walk into my classroom, that's how I want my kids to feel." And so they do. Said senior D'Monique Pratt: "Mr. Anthony can teach anybody anything." "I just teach," said Anthony with a smile. Anthony is also a product of Markham Intermediate School in Graniteville, Susan Wagner High and St. John's University, Grymes Hill, where he majored in history. He received his master's degree in education from the College of Staten Island and an advanced certificate in conflict management from Columbia University. Anthony has also written and lectured extensively on conflict resolution and peer mediation, both in the United States and abroad. The key to all of it, he said, is "working together." "I believe that if you give love, and if you give respect, you will receive it," said Anthony of his philosophy of teaching -- and of life itself. Judy L. Randall is a news reporter with the Advance. She may be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . © 2007 Staten Island Advance © 2007 SILive.com All Rights Reserved. |
