You could say that Tamika Knight was born to be a teacher at Annie Fisher STEM Magnet School in Hartford, Connecticut. A Hartford native and alumnus of its public schools, her community ties run deep. Wholeheartedly dedicated to her school and her students, Knight gives selflessly of her time and talent, even tutoring her kids after hours who need an extra knowledge boost.
Armed with a penchant for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) instruction, this no-nonsense instructor encourages her students to pursue careers in these fields. A skilled connector of multiple content areas, she uses literacy-based math instruction and other tactics to facilitate learning. Data guides Knight's instruction, and she empowers her fifth-graders to conduct their own research to glean new information. Knight also has an open classroom in which any student with mastery of the material can participate in the teaching process. Beyond her classroom, Knight challenges students from other grade levels during the school day.
Knight's fifth-graders show remarkable gains in reading, math and writing. On the state mastery test, her students posted 20 percent increases—the best the district has ever seen.
An active member of the School Governance Council, Knight piloted a pre-engineering team for the first time in a competition—and made it to the state round. She is a mentor for new and student teachers as well as a coach for the girls and boys basketball teams at the local Boys and Girls Club.
2010 M.A., Holistic Thinking, The Graduate Institute
2000 B.A., Elementary Education, Central Connecticut State University
