Eunju (April) Moon

Eunju (April) Moon migrated to the U.S. with her family from South Korea to an area where there wasn’t much diversity. She says she felt like a “fish out of water” throughout much of her early years in school. 

That’s why the sixth grade teacher has made it a point throughout her 19-year teaching career  to make sure every student who walks through her doors feels seen, heard and supported. 

“It started with me feeling uncomfortable and then I aspired to become a teacher because I wanted to get rid of that discomfort in a way,” Moon said. 

Those who work with Moon at Ridgeview Middle School describe her as a master teacher. She is caring, kind, patient and encouraging. She helps to ensure student success by taking the time to build a relationship with each of them, understanding their different learning styles and adapting her lessons to match their needs. She sets high expectations in her classroom and in life, and gives her students support to reach those standards.

“Everyone makes mistakes,” said one of her students. “You're just going to learn from it and then you're going to improve later on.” Moon is “very encouraging because she's like, ‘Don't worry; now you can learn to do better.’” 

Moon encourages her students to participate in the annual Mosaic Writing Contest for middle schoolers. In the past six years, five of her students either won or received honorable mention. 

“Not only did Mrs. Moon want others to hear our stories, but she also wanted to hear our stories and acknowledged that she heard us,” said another student. 

Moon’s students have had increases on the vocabulary section of the MAP-R test. In 2021–2022, the goal was growth of 2 to 3 points. Her students made increases ranging from 2 to 30 points.

Moon’s colleagues have also benefited from her classroom approaches. She skillfully helps support other teachers within her department. Teachers feel comfortable reflecting and discussing strategies with her to best support their students. She also actively participates in several learning committees, and pursues opportunities to increase her talents in instructional strategies. 

“Teachers have one of the most difficult and serious professions where what we do is serious work,” Moon said. “And we have a direct effect on the future because (students) are the future of our society.”