Teacher of the Week 19: Jeffrey A. Stewart

Teachers are real life superheroes. Every day, CHS teachers touch the lives of thousands of students, and their work extends beyond the boundaries of the classroom. To show appreciation for these teachers, the Crier asked students to identify teachers that have made a real impact in their lives. A new student and teacher will be featured each week.

This week, Joseph Magyar, ‘17, nominated economics teacher Jeffrey A. Stewart.

Magyar: Mr. Stewart keeps students engaged and gets along with his students easily. He also shows his high external political efficacy by voting regularly.

Crier: Why did you decide to teach economics?

Stewart: It’s really a combination of history, government, and math. I think it brings a lot of subject matter into one. Economics is just really interesting, and it’s all around us. When you want to become a social studies teacher, you want to make sure that you are able to teach a wide variety of subjects. So, I never necessarily dreamed up to become an economics teacher. I always wanted to become a social studies teacher and it just happened to be that I found my niche in economics.

Maggie Jakopac | Conant Crier

Jeffery Stewart teaches his students an economics topic through a graph.

Crier: The Crier heard that you created Cake Day, what was the reason behind it?

Stewart: It’s just to keep the content interesting. There is this concept of teaching federalism, where you can describe federalism as being a layer cake because it’s a very clear and distinct power of the federal government or the state government. Whereas, there is also marble cake, where you aren’t sure where the federal government or the state government’s responsibilities begins and ends. I thought it was a neat idea for the kids to bake a cake and have it describe layer/marble cake federalism.

Crier: What economic theory do you enjoy teaching?

Stewart: Every theory is very important, but I really enjoy getting into fiscal and monetary policies. It describes the impact of the government or bank’s decisions on the entire economy.

Crier: What do you like to do with your family?

Stewart: I have two little kids at home, so we like to go on walks. My son is two years old, and he loves being outside. During spring break, the weather was bad, so he would just stand by the window or the door, longing to go outside. When the weather cleared up, he spent 3 hours outside; he is definitely the explorer type. My daughter, who is going to turn one this week, is just along for the ride right now. It’s going to be interesting to see how their dynamics play out over the next few years.

Crier: If you weren’t a teacher, what would you be?

Stewart: I don’t know, maybe something to do with Parks and Recreation. Besides that, I would definitely do something that involves the community, which I think is part of being a teacher. So, I would pursue a job where I would help the public by helping to build the community.

To nominate a teacher who has made an impact in your life, click here.

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