All week long, teachers across New York City are being honored for their hard work and dedication to their school’s community.  

On Thursday, Bronx teacher Maurice Childs is getting recognition for his work educating students who aren’t native English speakers.  

Childs is a teacher at M.S. 363, also known as the Academy of Personal Leadership and Excellence. The Department of Education is honoring his passion in helping to educate, inspire, and motivate students. His students give him high praise, and specifically his seventh graders say they weren’t surprised he was receiving the praise.  

“He deserves it, he’s a really good teacher,” said one student.  

News 12 caught up with Childs during an English Literature class where he was helping students study a novel about the struggles of an immigrant girl growing up in communist Cuba. He says that he always likes to challenge his students to get them interested and excited to learn and push themselves.  

Childs has been teaching English as a new language and Spanish at M.S. 363 for the past eight years, and says his focus as an educator is to help show students the joy of learning to help them excel.