At Harns Marsh Middle School in Lehigh Acres, Jamie Miller teaches seventh grade civics.
That’s right – civics.
Getting students to know what it is, much less care about it, can be a challenge.
“Thomas Jefferson, you have George Washington, and you have these documents," Miller said. “(Students) are like, 'Miss, it's 100, 200 years old. Why do I care about it?'"
But Miller has not only gotten kids to care about civics, she has gotten them to want to learn about it.
“They can see the content and learn and be successful, but have fun while doing it,” she explained. “Humor is such a big part of my class because I think it builds their comfortability with me.”
Alex Dworzanski, principal at Harns Marsh Middle School, said Miller brings the lessons to life.
“Some of these high-impact lessons separate her teaching from other teachers,” Dworzanski explained. “The best thing about it is she influences others to be great as well.”
Miller's positive influence on both her students and her colleagues and her love for history have led to the prestigious Golden Apple.
“I mean, like, I was expecting it,” seventh grade student Kylah Duncan said. “She's a wonderful teacher, so it's good that she got it."
“The way she explains things, it's not too hard to understand it," Duncan added.
In the end, there is one thing Miller explains to her students above all else: The real lesson is about more than old papers or past presidents.
“What I want them to really get out of this class is they know their rights in this country,” she explained. “They know that their voice means something in this country. Whether they're 12 or 102.”