Phebe and Zephaniah Swift Moore Teaching Award
Mathematics and statistics teacher
North Shore High School Glen Head, New York
After spending four years as a student of Robert Gerver, a veteran math and statistics teacher at North Shore High School, Claire Castellano ’16 summarized her reasons for his undisputed popularity among students there:“His positive and upbeat attitude made everyone want to learn. And his organization, precision and incredible ability to explain made the learning possible.” In her nomination of Gerver for the Swift Moore Award, Castellano cited the “unparalleled energy level” with which he prepared and presented enthusiastic classroom lessons “down to the last joke and color-coded equation on the board.” After school, Gerver oversaw North Shore’s “Mathlete” program and student coffeehouse concert series while also regularly attending sporting and extracurricular events, cheering for his many students by name.“I have witnessed Dr. Gerver step up as more than a teacher, embodying a fatherlike role, for some students who need it the most. ... ‘Too busy’ or ‘too tired’ doesn’t seem to be in his lexicon,” Castellano observed.“His compassion is unmatched, and his ability to give, both in the classroom and out, seems to be limitless.