For the first time, one of the teachers up for the New Hampshire Teacher of the Year award works inside the state prisons. Kimberly Piper is employed by the New Hampshire Department of Corrections as a high school English teacher, and she is one of nine semi-finalists for the honor, which will be announced in September.
Piper, who has been in her role for about four years, was a public school teacher for the majority of her career. And while there are some stark differences between teaching high school inside and outside of prison – for example, security is always a top concern – Piper says, otherwise, her classroom looks like one in any other school.
And teaching adults versus teenagers also has some benefits, according to Piper. “The big plus side is that dealing with adults, they’ve made the decision to come to high school. And so every single day that they show up is a day they’re looking for their education,” she says.
In her English classes, Piper tries to show students – who have ranged from 18 to 70 years old – how they connect to the larger world. This can be a challenge inside a prison facility, she says. So she has to get creative. She starts with showcasing her enthusiasm for literature.
“Just understanding literature can help you understand the world better and connect with it better,” Piper says. “That’s valuable for anyone and particularly for incarcerated people who are going to be leaving eventually.”
Recently, Piper’s class at the women’s facility finished Of Mice and Men. Next, they’re starting The Great Gatsby. In class, students reflect on how texts like these relate to their lives through journaling exercises. Sometimes, if they feel comfortable, they share and process their thoughts together, Piper says.
“Knowing how a character in a novel has processed a situation can really help them think about how they might encounter the same situation or similar,” Piper says.
Piper found out she was nominated for the Teacher of the Year award while she was at work; she was nominated by her supervisor. Through the award process thus far, she says she’s learned that many people are surprised that there is a high school program offered within the prison facility, beyond GED programs.
“I’m not used to being in the spotlight, but it’s really neat to be able to talk about what we do,” Piper says.
Students who complete the program receive a full diploma and celebrate with a graduation held in June.
