Wheaton Teacher Selected As Finalist For Golden Apple Award

WHEATON, IL — When James Rowe teaches, any given day may include student support from a ball python or students calling him "Dad." Rowe, who teaches science to special education juniors and seniors at Clare Woods Academy, was recently chosen as a finalist for the Golden Apple Excellence in Teaching Award.

After more than two decades teaching, Rowe told Patch he has learned,"[t]hings seldom go as planned, and that's a good thing. It provides an opportunity to be creative and create new ways to look at things."

Rowe incorporates trauma-informed teaching and social-emotional learning into his daily lessons, handling each new experience as it comes, with the realization that "[s]tudents are not like cars on an assembly line."

"Every student comes to school with a different life experience," Rowe said. "By listening to our students and getting to know them, we can help them be successful. When things don't go well, we are able to help our students through the rough spots. Then we can work on strategies to use in the future."

Teaching was not Rowe's first career choice. He had been pursuing a master’s degree in sociology when his thesis advisor recommended in some education classes "for fun."

He told Patch his advisor "thought it was weird that teachers and schools would go charging off in one direction trying out an educational idea without any evidence that it worked. Then, when another idea is suggested, they go off in the other direction without checking to see if it works."

It took just one class in education for Rowe to know he would abandon his sociology studies and pursue a career as a teacher. He opted to forgo his sociology degree and instead earned a master's degree in special education in 1999.

Rowe has been at Clare Woods Academy for 22 years now, but he says, "It really doesn't feel that long."

Perhaps it's the enlightening experiences Rowe has had with students that keep things fresh for him.

He said one of his students struggled with focusing enough to write a paper. With a ball python wrapped around their non-writing hand, the student was able to focus for long enough to complete their writing assignment.

Another time, Rowe taught a student who would hit or kick other students if they were not closely surrounded by three adult staff members. Ultimately, the student was able to perform in a choir with just one adult nearby, four feet from them.

"Students are amazing," Rowe said, as he acknowledged that witnessing these experiences helped shape the way he teaches.

Per Golden Apple, "[Rowe] fosters a supportive and uplifting school environment. Each morning, he decorates his vehicle with stuffed animals, creating a moment of joy for students as they arrive and reinforcing the importance of a positive start to the day. Colleagues admire his ability to connect with students, instill confidence, and create an environment where they feel valued and supported."

And it's made a difference because students return to visit him long after they've graduated.

"I have had students come back to visit me with their children [and] email me to tell me about their college classes," Rowe told Patch. He's even been invited to one student's wedding.

Rowe called his selection as a Golden Apple finalist "a wonderful honor."

"I don't feel like I have done anything special to deserve it," he told Patch. "I work in a school with so many outstanding teachers, paraprofessionals and staff. I would not have received this nomination if I weren't for them. We all work together to be there for our students."

Rowe is one of 30 finalists from a pool of 470 nominees for the Golden Apple Excellence in Teaching Award. Come spring, the Golden Apple Foundation will surprise the winning educators at their respective schools. Each Golden Apple Award winner receives $5,000 in cash.

Click to learn more about the Golden Apple Awards.