Paul M.

Maya High School

Paul Madden is a Social Studies teacher at Maya High School, an alternative school in west Phoenix. His enthusiasm for teaching shows in everything he does. He is one of our first teachers in the building every day—and he works bell-to-bell with his students. He inspires his students to take an interest in the world around them. He integrates technology in the classroom lessons, which helps keep our tech-savvy students interested. His students know Mr. Madden cares about them—he greets each student by name and regularly communicates with students about their grades so they can address areas of concern in time to pull up their grades. Beyond teaching, he is the Head Co-ed Soccer Coach in the spring and he volunteers on his own time to drive the school van that ferries our students to other sports and after-school activities. Mr. Madden is a new teacher—this is his second year—and he is a part of the fabric of the academic and social life at Maya High School that makes the high school experience so memorable for our students. He is one of those teachers that students will remember fondly long after they graduate. And his enthusiasm is catching—he is well-liked by his peers as well as students and parents. As the school principal, I often refer to him as a "prodigy." This young man was born to teach and in turn impact lives. Students and teachers do a pride cheer around here - WE ARE MAYA! - and the "we" just wouldn't be the same without Mr. Madden.

Signed,
John Anderson