An Interview with Sydney Chaffee, 2017 Teacher of the Year

“More than anything, being at Citizen Schools taught me about community, and about how to form relationships with kids and work with them in a way that is loving and caring and joyful. That more than anything is the lesson that I have carried through with me from Citizen Schools.”

Sydney Chaffee came to Citizen Schools as an AmeriCorps Teaching Fellow, looking for a way to start her teaching career. She spent two years teaching at schools in Boston with citizen Schools before working at Codman Academy in Dorchester. Sydney was recently awarded the National Teacher of the Year award for her work at Codman Academy. We asked Sydney how her time at Citizen Schools has influenced her work as a teacher.