BILLINGS — Q2, Education Foundation for Billings Public Schools, Western Security Bank, and City Brew Coffee have teamed up for “One Class at a Time.” It's a program that recognizes teachers who go above and beyond to help their students.
Meet Max Melfi, a fourth-grade teacher who does an exceptional job building strong, meaningful relationships with his kids.
“When I was a kid, when I think back, school was really hard for me,” said Mr. Melfi. “I guess I just want to help kids who maybe struggled like I did, to kind of make it a little more enjoyable and fun, and that’s what I try to do. I try to relate to all of them before I teach them anything, because I don’t think they’ll listen to me if they don’t like me. So, I try to get them to like me. I like them, I figure out what they like, they figure out what I like, and we work together and just try to have a good time and learn while we’re at it.”
He’s been teaching for about five years. During that time, social media has grown rapidly, and he’s seen firsthand how it has become an even bigger distraction for today’s students.
“It can be hard. Their attention span is pretty short sometimes—lots of moving around. I give them different options in the room to get their work done in different locations. But yeah, with these older kids, it is something new this year because a lot of them have phones and they know a lot. So, that’s been a new challenge for me, but it’s going good.”
Teaching comes with so many rewards, but what does Mr. Melfi enjoy most?
“Probably just spending time with the kids, honestly. I think about that over any academics. I like coming in every day and hearing what they did last night, hearing about their weekends. They ask what I did over the weekend—just forming relationships with them.”
And his hopes for them in the future?
“Be kind to people, I guess, and never give up. Because stuff’s going to get hard, so just keep trying.”
For his remarkable ability to teach and connect with his students in a calm, meaningful way, the Education Foundation for Billings Public Schools was honored to present Mr. Melfi with a $500 grant, proudly sponsored by Western Security Bank. He was also surprised by City Brew Coffee with a $150 gift card, along with a few other tokens of appreciation. Congratulations.
If you would like to nominate a deserving teacher, click here.
