State College Area Teacher Wins National Award

David Rockower, an English teacher in the State College Area School District’s Delta Middle Level program, has been recognized with a national award for his efforts to inspire students.

The National Council of Teachers of English selected Rockower as this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Middle Level Educator in the English Language Arts Award. It recognizes teachers who “who have demonstrated excellence in teaching English language arts and inspired a spirit of inquiry and a love of learning in their students.”

The award will be presented on Nov. 17 at the NCTE’s annual convention in St. Louis.

“I am deeply honored to receive this award,’ Rockower said. ‘it wouldn’t have been possible without the relationships I’ve established with students, parents and colleagues. Building a strong community has always been priority No. 1 — the most impactful learning occurs when students feel part of something bigger than themselves. I’m thankful for the freedom to be creative and collaborative, which I believe brings out the best in all teachers.”

A Delta program alumnus himself, Rockower has worked in education for 19 years and has a master’s degree in library media and information technology.

Rockower uses a variety of approaches — such as graphic novels, poetry, fiction, personal essays and journalism — to help students develop a love for reading and writing. He is a regularly published writer and stays engaged with his students throughout the year about what they are reading, holding book talks and sharing other works they would be interested in. He learns about his students’ lives to help suggest books and writing topics that will spark their interests.

The Delta program gives students a voice and flexibility in their education, and Rockower incorporates student interests and common core standards into his lessons and the projects students do. He has taught a variety of creative courses, such as Literacy Through Photography, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, 20,000 Words/Writing for Publication, Poetry & Memoirs and Graphic Novels. A recent class project involved students interviewing residents of a retirement home and writing poetry about them.

“More than anything, I am teaching students to embrace life,” he said. “While a science teacher may use experiments and proofs, and a social studies teacher may use social and political dilemmas, I use stories.”