SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — The academic year at Pennsauken High School is ending with special honors for English teacher Christine Lim.
She's one of four New Jersey winners of Princeton University's Prize for Distinguished Secondary School Teaching, an honor for educators who transform their students and their school communities.
Above Lim's classroom whiteboard is a phrase she hopes her students integrate into their own lives: kaizen.
"Kaizen means 'continuous improvement' in Japanese, and it's the concept of growing as learners," she said.
That growth isn't just about writing for her ninth- and 10th-grade students, Lim added. It is about building relationships.
"In a time period where everyone's so isolated, I just feel like Princeton was able to see the dynamic of students really liking each other," she said.
Online and in person, Lim organized daily check-ins to monitor the mood of each of her students. She also helped them gain confidence through public speaking.
"For some of them, this is the first time they've ever shared their writing aloud," she said. "Writing is such a private, personal practice, especially for these adolescents that aren't quite comfortable with who they are."
She's thankful Princeton also recognized the culture of care and family that she and her students have built. Lim serves as an adviser for the school's Asian Student Association, which, she noted, provided a safe haven for Asian students to talk about violence against their community this year.
The Princeton award comes with a $5,000 prize plus $3,000 for the school's library.
Lim said the award is a highlight of her 14-year career, but she insists it is a shared honor.
"My students are the Princeton winners," she said. "It's collaborative, and they are the ones that have helped me grow so much as an educator this year."
