Around the beginning of the school year, the staff of Lively’s Newspaper were looking for a teacher to shout out. We decided Shai Zimmerman is the perfect fit as he is a passionate teacher who inspires and helps students reach their full potential. He is, to me and many others, a role model and a beloved teacher. “Yes, (he is like a role model), and he’s a really good teacher. He’s one of my favorites,” said eighth-grader Scarlette Riggio.
Zimmerman is a seventh-grade English teacher and English department chair here at Lively Middle School. He has been a teacher for six years and graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia, with a major in secondary education and a focus on social studies education.
Zimmerman taught at two other schools in Pittsburgh before eventually moving to Austin to teach at Lively Middle School. He told me he was drawn to Lively after speaking with and meeting Dr. Holiday and Ms. Tipton in person. He was looking for a school with a “strong culture” and found Lively to be a good fit.
“Mr. Zimmerman shows students that reading and writing can be an exciting topic and a powerful way to connect with others. Mr. Zimmerman is a great teacher. He is really kind to his students and he really just makes them feel at home,” said seventh grader Tallulah Redman, one of Zimmerman’s current students.
In the classroom, Zimmerman hopes to show students how impactful reading can be. “I think there is a lot of value in reading and writing, especially writing, but I don’t think that a lot of schools allow for students to love reading and writing for a lot of different reasons. And I thought that I could do a good job of helping students see why reading and writing could be, not just a cool and important thing to know, but also a way to express themselves in a society that is really trying to limit student voice,” Zimmerman said.
In his free time, Zimmerman enjoys playing tennis, running, reading, and writing. He plays tennis every Wednesday in his men’s league and plays in Sunday tournaments. ”Every Sunday I play against people competitively…and it’s just a lot of fun and it’s nice to be outside…running is nice, it helps me clear my mind after a long day,” said Zimmerman.
Back at home, Zimmerman has two cats named Bailey and Luna. ”My younger cat, she’s a rescue and anytime I leave she gets very upset, so the entire week after a vacation she’s incredibly needy,” said Zimmerman.
All in all, Zimmerman is an amazing teacher and I am beyond grateful to have had him as a teacher. Many people including myself look up to him in countless ways.
“Mr. Zimmerman is a really nice and a great teacher. ELA is one of my least favorite subjects, but last year I genuinely enjoyed the class,” said eighth-grader Larke Sorensen.
Zimmerman always has his doors open for his students to help and support them. “My favorite thing about Lively, it’s a corny answer but the students. The students are what keep me staying at Lively each year…It really is like the highlight of the day to get to work with you guys,” said Zimmerman.
