In the heart of Marion-Franklin High School, Susan Mazur, an Intervention Specialist who doubles as the English Department Chair, is transforming the educational experience with a unique approach. In a feature by Columbus City Schools, the spotlight is on Mazur's method of inspiring confidence by patiently helping students to slowly discover and believe in their strengths.
It's not just about the grades for Mazur; it's about fostering a bond that goes beyond the classroom walls. "My relationships with my students are everything to me," Mazur told Columbus City Schools. She seeks to genuinely get to know her students and to cultivate a learning environment where they can start to see themselves succeed. Principal Tanita Fleming has noticed the change, mentioning that Mazur "always focuses on the positive and improves the climate of our building." Fleming acknowledged Mazur's continuous search to not just readily identify problems but to actively look for solutions that can effectively turn them around.
The Columbus City Schools' feature highlighted an instance where Mazur's methods made a significant difference. She realized that to write convincingly about something, her students needed firsthand experiences. She secured a grant that allowed the entire tenth grade to visit the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. This outing proved to be a turning point, enabling students to write from a place of authentic engagement with their subject. "It turns out these students had never been to the zoo," Mazur said. "To write about it, they had to experience what it was like firsthand."
Adaree Smith, a tenth-grader at Marion-Franklin, emphasized the personal impact Mazur had made. "She has made me want to be a better student for her and she can be a better teacher for me," Smith conveyed to Columbus City Schools. This sentiment echoes the findings of a 2021 study by the National Library of Medicine and Frontiers in Psychology, which noted that experiential learning can significantly improve motivation, comprehension, and critical thinking among students.
