Michael Gehm

Position: Social Studies TeacherSchool: Secaucus High SchoolSchool District: Secaucus Public SchoolsCity, State: Secaucus, New JerseyAbout the Nominee: Michael Gehm was nominated by a student, Maria Gigante. This is the second year Mr. Gehm has been nominated for LifeChanger of the Year. He was previously nominated in 2014-15.Mr. Gehm is a Navy Veteran who was paralyzed while in the Navy. After his recovery, he went back to school to become a history teacher. He teaches World Civilization, World Civilization Honors and AP US History 1 and 2. Mr. Gehm is inspiring beyond belief and is an amazing teacher and mentor to many, if not all of his students. Every day, his larger than life personality shines. Mr. Gehm treats every student as if they were his own. He devotes endless hours to his students, staying up late, meeting them at the public library for tutoring sessions, visiting them at their homes and going the extra mile to ensure his students achieve success. He runs the Junior Statesmen of America Club (JSA), and a mock trial club to give his students the opportunity to truly experience Social Studies from a personal point of view. With the JSA, Mr. Gehm has taken the students on numerous trips. This past year, the JSA won the national Civic Impact Award. Mr. Gehm has instituted a Go Google classroom, incorporating technology into his classroom.Mr. Gehm is always available if a student needs help. He is in his room with the door wide open before school, at lunch and after school. He also works in his town's teen center, where he also offers extra study and tutoring for his students. Students feel lucky and blessed when they have him as a teacher because he is always there to push them to the best of their abilities. Anyone who knows Mr. Gehm knows that he was a blessing sent to Secaucus![nominee_videos nominee_email="mgehm@sboe.us"]