George Morales (@geomorales86) | #BowTieTuesday

Published by Bow Tie Joe on April 3, 2018

Introduction: This week’s #BowTieTuesday Educator Spotlight goes to an educator that I met in some unusual circumstances. I had just touched down on the banks at Rutgers University in the summer of 2009 for the EOF Program. My roommate and friends said that their old teacher was coming to visit and they were going to grab some food and invited me along. Fast forward from this impromptu meeting nine years ago and having joined the ranks since then, have relied heavily on his expertise and wisdom. The Edu-Rock Star that I’ll be recognizing this week is none other than Mr. George Morales (@geomorales86), a high school educator at Union City High School who wears many hats! He teaches history courses, the Student Council Advisor, Peer Group Connection Advisor, and Producer/Director of UCHS Weekly.

Educational Pursuit: George obtained his bachelor’s degree by NJCU and time has flown by since, as the double-decade mark is slowly creeping upon his time within education. Initially, he started out as an accounting major in college and at some point, volunteered to talk to students from Lincoln High School in Jersey City about college. After the event, the professor in charge pulled him aside and informed him that she was impressed with the way he spoke to students and if he had ever considered a career in education. After a couple of weeks of thinking about what she had said, he decided to switch majors and in hindsight, is happy that he did.

Most Memorable Moment: PGC is Peer Group Connection, is a program designed to ease the transition from middle to high school and help incoming students feel connected to the school. The program pairs a senior who serves as a mentor with an incoming sophomore/freshman. Morales was the spark within Union City High School that brought the program there and provided him with countless memories. He was a member of the program when he was a freshman in high school as well as a mentor his senior year.

He pitched the idea to his principal who supported the idea right away. The problem was getting the funding for it. One day on his way back from the Senior Florida Trip he received a call from the Princeton Center for Leadership and Training saying that a school that was getting funding through a grant was pulling out at the last minute. If he could get permission from the BOE by the end of the week they would cover all costs as long as they could do a study on the students in the program. The principal, Mr. Robert Fazio, informed Morales that he would get everything approved in two days and he did it in one. The program came to be because an administrator trusted him enough to take a chance and its been in the district for 14 years and counting. During their PGC reunions, Morales spoke about the pride he experiences when his students speak of their accomplishments and how much they credit PGC for it. #WeWinTogether

Personal Learning Interests: Morales and his wife just purchased their first home so after living in apartments for his entire life he’s taken on learning how to repair and maintain a house. He has developed a new appreciation for power tools and lawn equipment. Congratulations my friend!

The Fun Stuff

Morales’s go-to Karaoke Song: Morales has been a big Beatles fan since he was a kid because of his Dad so I usually pick something from them.  The last time he sang karaoke he chose “When I’m 64”.

Morales’s Inside Scoop: Morales is a big movie and comic book guy. He has collected comics and action figures since he was a child and most of his collection is housed at the museum of his mother’s house in North Carolina. He also enjoys recording old movies and watching them in his spare time. He was able to turn that passion into an educational reality when he proposed a History through Film class at UCHS. He’s been teaching it now for 7 years.

Thank you, Morales, for your heartfelt efforts to improve education each and every day you step foot inside a classroom. I would never have guessed the few slices of pizza I shared while you and your former students exchanged stories would translate into the friendship that we have nowadays and the positive impact you have had on my PLN! I truly appreciate all that you do to keep moving education forward.