This month’s National Renaissance Staffulty of the Month is Wayne Powers from Foothill Technology High School in Ventura, CA. Nominator Devin Franke describes how he motivates his students with humor and stories (lightly edited):

“I think that Mr. Powers should be nominated and definitely deserves to be a Staffulty Member of the month because of the type of person he is and how he teaches. Mr. Powers has the mindset that everyone should succeed and also learn in a fun way. He is in Foothills Math department teaching Math 2H and Calculus. He always has a smile on his face and is full of stories that he loves to share, no matter how embarrassing they are. He treats everyone in his class more like humans then students, and always tries to help and have an all-around good spirit. He also lets us learn how he wants to in terms of working and talking, and I don’t remember a time where he has either gotten upset or even yelled. Being the golf coach, as well, he has a lot on his plate and definitely gets the job done. Another reason why I love him as a teacher because he always likes to talk, and we always talked about life and engineering projects, since he was a past construction worker. I don’t remember a day where I didn’t want to go to his class, even if we were taking one of our weekly quizzes or tests. So overall, Mr. Wayne Powers is one of my favorite teachers not just because of how he teaches, but also his sense of humor and how he treats others. Go Mr. Powers!“

How long have you been involved with Renaissance?

5 years.

What’s a favorite Renaissance moment for you?

The Renaissance Rally!

How has Renaissance impacted your school’s culture?

For the better.

How has Renaissance affected you personally?

It brings me joy to see the effect Renaissance has on students.

What advice would you give to someone just starting with Renaissance?

It’s a lot of work – ask Melanie Lindsey – but it’s worth it.

Wayne will receive a shirt and a lapel pin, and was entered into a drawing for free registration to this year’s Jostens Renaissance National Conference.

To nominate someone in your school for the National Renaissance Staffulty of the Month honor, click here.