

Although his primary curriculum at Columbia Middle School is sixth-grade History and Literature, Rob Felicano makes social-emotional learning a priority in his classroom. His goal is not only to make learning engaging, but also to help develop resilient, reflective and confident young people. From filling his classroom with positive messages to sharing how he overcame his own personal struggles, he creates a warm, positive environment for learning.
Acknowledge Alliance recognized Rob as an outstanding educator and honored him for his dedication to Sunnyvale Youth at its 10th annual Forget-Me-Not awards dinner April 27.
Acknowledge Alliance serves K-12 schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, integrating resilience into all levels of learning by mentoring educators, counseling at-risk youth and teaching social-emotional learning lessons for the whole classroom. Acknowledge Alliance and SSD have been partners for five years.

“Rob embodies social-emotional resilience in everything he does as a teacher,” said Jean Hamilton, Resilience Consultant at CMS. “What matters most to him is helping young people become good human beings who like themselves and who value and enjoy learning. If you were to visit his classroom, you would witness this in action in every aspect of his teaching.”
Through classroom observations, coaching and professional development groups, Acknowledge Alliance Resilience Consultants provide educators with the knowledge and skills they need to help them understand and respond to the emotional and developmental needs of students; build supportive, life-changing relationships in the school setting; and create school-wide changes that promote engagement and well-being.
Congratulations Rob! See Rob’s speech from the Acknowledge Alliance awards ceremony here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NtMnayGnSk.
This article was written by Jean Hamilton and Alia Wilson.