With administrators funneling into the classroom, confusion and surprise swept over the face of Jeffrey Chazen and those of his AP Government students. On Wednesday, during the 6th hour, Principal John McCabe declared Chazen the 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year.

Weeks ago, McCabe sent an application to all of West High’s staff, giving any staff member the opportunity to nominate another for Teacher of the Year. 16 people were nominated and from there, McCabe trimmed the number down to seven. After the finalists were selected, the same names were released once more to the staff for a final vote. 

“I would say that [staff] look for people that serve [and] that do amazing things in their classroom. The [Teacher of the Year is] excellent working with students. They come up with creative and innovative ideas for how they teach. They [make] the building better [by] sharing great teaching practices,” McCabe said. “Ultimately, [they] don’t just care about [themself], [they] care about others.”

Chazen currently teaches AP US Government, Government and History of St. Louis, but he has been teaching at West and spreading his knowledge since 1993. His journey toward a career in education began as a student at North High.

“I had a freshman teacher, who was the kind of teacher that I wanted to be: funny [and] energetic, [with] lots of discussion [and] debates,” Chazen said. “I had a couple cousins that were teachers [and] my mom always helped out at the school. All of that led me toward the path of being a teacher.”

This year, Junior Thomas Prine decided to take AP US Government, leading to his first class with Chazen 8th hour.

“[Mr. Chazen] always finds a way to make class interesting [and] entertaining,” Prine said. “His way of teaching is so unique and out-of-the-blue — it adds to the whole classroom aesthetic.”

“I love the way he teaches; he’s very loud, but it impacts me a lot,” Junior Nemo Moye said. “He is more interactive with his students than other teachers are. [He has] made me more interactive with history and more active in class. All in all, he’s one of the coolest teachers I’ve met this school year.”

Junior Stephanie Fussner also takes AP Government and has known Chazen since freshman year, as he announces the lineup for soccer games.

“Mr. Chazen is very good at involving everyone and explaining. The way he teaches is not exactly based [on] AP’s curriculum, [it] is more linear and makes more sense,” Fussner said. “He puts a lot of work [into] every single lesson, and you can tell he really does have a passion for government.”

Chazen has spent 32 years at West High and has since become the social studies department chair. 

“Mr. Chazen is a fierce advocate for teachers [and] he speaks up to support all teachers,” McCabe said. “He sits on making critical decisions about processes and plans for our building. He’s an excellent teacher that shares his strategies with others. There [are] so many skills and talents that Mr. Chazen possesses that make him a wonderful Teacher of the Year.”

Educators greatly influence students’ development and usher in the next generation, molded to take the reins. Thus, Chazen’s role as a government teacher is vital to the future of civic engagement in our community.

“As a government teacher, I want my students to be active participants and voters for the rest of their lives,” Chazen said.

Chazen inspires government students like Fussner to become and stay civically active.

“[Chazen] has [a] very positive effect in making history fun again and making me enjoy going to government class,” Fussner said. “I’m getting [closer] to [voting, and Chazen is] making getting involved in government not scary and overwhelming”

Chazen explains what motivates him as a teacher and what has brought him thus far.

“The kids are amazing at what they do. They make it fun [and] soak up the [content], so it’s fun to see them go through the process of learning and dealing with the information and asking questions,” Chazen said. “Even though I do the same thing every year, it doesn’t feel like it because [it’s] a new group of students. That’s what keeps it refreshing and keeps me going.”