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10/16/2024 08:30 AMSome students in a school may not have an older adult who they can look up to and from who they can learn important life skills and lessons. Others may simply need a boost when they might not necessarily want to be at school one day. For John Clifford, a 6th-grade math and science teacher at East Haven Academy (EHA), filling these voids in mentorship and mood is something he holds close to his heart, knowing that the displaying of positive actions can go a long way.
“It’s a great opportunity to be able to be part of a kid’s life,” he says. “I don’t take it for granted.”
John’s commitment to supporting young people was recognized when he was selected by the Norwegian Cruise Line’s Giving Joy program for a stay aboard one of its ships for a night in Boston and then two nights on one of the cruise line’s newest boats, Aqua.
John’s nomination for the award came from one of his former students who sent to the cruise line “some weird picture of me eating a doughnut and posted that and wrote a nice little write-up about me,” he says.
John’s nomination by a former student reveals to him the “positive impact” he has had on people who are willing to give back their appreciation.
“I've been teaching for 27 years, so there's been a lot of students that have come through my classrooms,” says John.
It means the world to John when he sees that he’s having a positive influence on his students. John got to see the reciprocation of his efforts when a parent posted the announcement of his selection for the Giving Joy program on Instagram.
“There were over 80 comments from parents whose children I had, some of them 20 years ago,” he says. “One parent said their kids are now in their late 20s. They said my kids are better adults having Mr. Clifford as a teacher…That really meant a lot to me.”
For John, receiving this distinction and then hearing the comments from former students and their parents was a “humbling” reception.
John has taught in East Haven for 27 years, 22 of which was at Tuttle Elementary School. With John now at EHA, one of things he has enjoyed the most about his time at the school is its STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) competition which engages students in the four subjects through designing creative projects.
“In my grade, they get to build a structure out of popsicle sticks and straws, and it has to withstand an earthquake,” John says. “We have finalists that go to the high school and compete against other kids in the district.”
John maintains a busy schedule at EHA as a teacher, the coach of its middle school-level track and field team, and overseeing the Student Council. It is through these roles which John continues his enlightening of his students and supporting their garnering of real-life experiences and skills through their education and extracurriculars.
“Student Council is great because it really kind of teaches these kids some leadership qualities. It kind of gets them ready for 7th and 8th grade, where they're going to be part of a thing called National Junior Honor Society, and then on from there into high school,” he says.
In terms of athletics, John says that “whether it's strength or whether it's agility or whether it’s endurance, teamwork, or just good sportsmanship—all those things are important to me.”
Still, it does not end there for John. He is also known for his sense of humor at EHA, telling dad jokes and volunteering for moments of slapstick comedy.
When a fundraiser for the music program at EHA occurred a few years ago, John was one of the teachers who was willing to get their face slammed with a pie if the fundraiser reached its goal. Spoiler alert: It did, memorably.
“I still got 1st-graders coming up saying, ‘You’re the guy that got pied in the face!’”
Ultimately, these humorous moments mean much more for John than just for the sake of doing them. While telling his colleagues that “you got to have a sense of humor” in their workspace, John knows that these moments can serve as another example of positively impacting students and making them feel safe in a classroom where they can grow as people.
“I feel very fortunate that I'm a teacher. I love what I do,” he says. “I love working with young people. They are just a lot of fun. I love that they’re learning about life and a lot of these things are new for them.”