Phebe and Zephaniah Swift Moore Teaching Award
ENGLISH TEACHER
THE HOTCHKISS SCHOOL
LAKEVILLE, CONNECTICUT
Nominated by Irisdelia (Iris) Garcia ’18
Seeing Charles Frankenbach’s name on her senior spring class schedule, Irisdelia Garcia ’18 was terrified. He had a reputation for “tough love,” and English was the subject in which she had the least confidence. Yet, in his class, Garcia felt recognized for who she was for the first time at school: “He was the first person to tell me I was a good writer. He was the first person to tell me my story was important on the page. And, most of all, he was the first person to tell me my remixed, multilingual self was just as worthy.” Frankenbach empowered Garcia to trust herself and to value her unique voice. He eventually inspired her to submit some particularly personal writing for consideration for a prestigious prize—which she won. Garcia cites Frankenbach’s “compassion, radical tenderness, and diligent dedication to the success of his students. Without him,” she says, “I would not be graduating with a degree in English today. Without him, I would not have the confidence that I have today.”