(From Left) Assistant Principal (AP) Will Okun, AP Kwame Stith, principal Gloria Woods-Weeks, math teacher Anik Sen, AP Tammy Patterson, AP Gene Jones, AP Jasmine McKoy, and math teacher Christy Simpson pose with Sen’s award plaque. Photo by Isabella Abadie.
Math teacher Anik Sen had two great high school teachers who inspired him to someday do the same.
“[They] saw potential in me as more than just a student, and helped me achieve my goals,” said Sen. “I wanted to give back to the next generation of students and be a similar support to them.”
After graduating from high school in 2020, Sen attended Duke, then stayed on to attend grad school to become a teacher.
“I got my master’s degree from the Duke MAT program,” he said. “They placed us in two schools during the year that we’re getting our degree. The second school that I was placed in was Riverside.”
Sen worked with Riverside math teacher Julie-Lynn Borquin while student teaching.
“When a position opened up with the opportunity to work right across the hall from her, I couldn’t say no,” Sen said.
Now in his first year of teaching Math 3 and Math 3 Honors, Sen has been named Beginning Teacher of the Year.
Sen describes his teaching style as a balance between structure and support.
“I like to think I’m a warm demander,” Sen said. “I have high expectations for my students, but I like to build relationships with them as well.”
To help students build confidence, Sen focuses on reinforcing what they already know before introducing more difficult concepts.
“By giving positive reinforcement to things that they do know, I hope that it encourages them to feel more confident to try things they that maybe don’t know,” he said
Sen also adjusts his teaching depending on the level of the class. In Math 3 Honors, he emphasizes preparation for future AP courses, while standard Math 3, he focuses more on real-world applications.
“For a lot of students, Math 3 is the last math they take, so thinking about how they can apply the skills to real life situations is where the focus is,” Sen said.
Despite the recognition, Sen said the award reflects the system around him.
“I feel very honored and humbled to be recognized,” Sen said. “This award is just a reflection of the great teachers I have in this hallway.”
Borquin, who worked closely with Mr. Sen, during his student teaching, said his success comes as no surprise.
“He was a really strong student teacher,” Borquin said. “to see him thriving as a first-year teacher is not surprising.
She added that his ability to connect with students stood out from the beginning.
“His positive attitude and ability to build relationships with students [stood out],” Borquin said.
According to Borquin, Sen’s preparation and professionalism set him apart.
“He plans his lessons out really well and focuses on making sure he’s teaching the math correctly [while] also trying to make it fun,” Borquin said.
Sen said he hopes students leave his class with more than just math skills.
“In order to succeed, sometimes you have to struggle,” he said. “That’s something they can apply to anything in their life.”
Math teacher Anik Sen had two great high school teachers who inspired him to someday do the same.
“[They] saw potential in me as more than just a student, and helped me achieve my goals,” said Sen. “I wanted to give back to the next generation of students and be a similar support to them.”
After graduating from high school in 2020, Sen attended Duke, then stayed on to attend grad school to become a teacher.
“I got my master’s degree from the Duke MAT program,” he said. “They placed us in two schools during the year that we’re getting our degree. The second school that I was placed in was Riverside.”
Sen worked with Riverside math teacher Julie-Lynn Borquin while student teaching.
“When a position opened up with the opportunity to work right across the hall from her, I couldn’t say no,” Sen said.
Now in his first year of teaching Math 3 and Math 3 Honors, Sen has been named Beginning Teacher of the Year.
Sen describes his teaching style as a balance between structure and support.
“I like to think I’m a warm demander,” Sen said. “I have high expectations for my students, but I like to build relationships with them as well.”
To help students build confidence, Sen focuses on reinforcing what they already know before introducing more difficult concepts.
“By giving positive reinforcement to things that they do know, I hope that it encourages them to feel more confident to try things they that maybe don’t know,” he said
Sen also adjusts his teaching depending on the level of the class. In Math 3 Honors, he emphasizes preparation for future AP courses, while standard Math 3, he focuses more on real-world applications.
“For a lot of students, Math 3 is the last math they take, so thinking about how they can apply the skills to real life situations is where the focus is,” Sen said.
Despite the recognition, Sen said the award reflects the system around him.
“I feel very honored and humbled to be recognized,” Sen said. “This award is just a reflection of the great teachers I have in this hallway.”
Borquin, who worked closely with Mr. Sen, during his student teaching, said his success comes as no surprise.
“He was a really strong student teacher,” Borquin said. “to see him thriving as a first-year teacher is not surprising.
She added that his ability to connect with students stood out from the beginning.
“His positive attitude and ability to build relationships with students [stood out],” Borquin said.
According to Borquin, Sen’s preparation and professionalism set him apart.
“He plans his lessons out really well and focuses on making sure he’s teaching the math correctly [while] also trying to make it fun,” Borquin said.
Sen said he hopes students leave his class with more than just math skills.
“In order to succeed, sometimes you have to struggle,” he said. “That’s something they can apply to anything in their life.”
