In East Boston, ninth grade history teacher Elizabeth Metts is shaping how students experience the subject. At Excel Academy Charter High School, Metts leads a flipped, self-paced classroom rooted in hands-on learning. Students engage in gallery walks, debates, individualized student work, and research projects, with frequent feedback and learning pods that promote ownership of their progress.
Metts accommodates the needs of all students by leading a differentiated classroom and creating an environment where they feel seen and are held accountable to high standards of excellence. Her innovative strategies, including “Writing Wednesdays” and “Map Analysis Thursdays,” build critical thinking and academic confidence. Since her arrival, student participation in AP World History has doubled—developing a vibrant group of learners who not only immerse themselves in the evolution of civilizations, cultures, and social advances around the world, but also gain an appreciation for their place in it. Metts’ classroom welcomes students in between periods and long after the bell rings, and alumni often return to demonstrate her impact on their lives.
Metts’ influence extends across the campus, where she works with staff to reinforce academic strengths and address areas of need. She is ninth grade team leader, serves on the hiring committee, mentors new teachers, leads professional development, coordinates the National Honor Society, is a Modern Classroom Project expert mentor, and leads a homework club after school. Committed to preparing the next generation of teachers, Metts coaches through the Charles Sposato Graduate School of Education – her alma mater.
Metts is National Board Certified. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in art and archaeology from Princeton University in 2013, a Master of Arts in arts administration from Teachers College, Columbia University, in 2016, and a Master in Effective Teaching (MET) from the Charles Sposato Graduate School of Education in 2018.
Press Release: East Boston Teacher Etched in History as National $25,000 Milken Educator Award Recipient for Massachusetts
