JJ Prior, 37

JJ Prior teaches his students and interacts with the community through reenactments of local historical episodes out of a passion to make learning fun and accessible for everyone. He and his wife, Emilia are partners in many things: being parents to a 2-year-old daughter; teaching 5th grade; performing historical reenactments annually at Wyman Tavern in Keene; and operating a farm at their home in Westmoreland. Prior, 37, has been teaching 5th grade for 11 years — with nine years at Fuller Elementary School and almost two years at Symonds Elementary School in Keene. He said there wasn't one moment where he decided to go into education but fell into it while studying social sciences at Keene State College. During his time at KSC, Prior started visiting teachers he had in middle school and began shadowing classes with them. Prior said his 6th-grade teacher in particular made school fun. "It was just a positive atmosphere," Prior said. "In the wintertime when the weather was too bad to go outside, we had a puzzle that we would work on in our classroom. It was just fun and welcoming." Prior said he struggled in school as a child after being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. However, thanks to engaging teachers, he stayed curious about everything to do with science. Over time, he has worked to figure out how to best manage his time and organize resources to make the ideas he has come to life. Many of his ideas and passions revolve around how to make school enjoyable for children who have similar struggles. He also coached children in youth track when he was in high school, which helped solidify his desire to work with young people. Prior said he's passionate about helping students foster the same enthusiasm for learning and school that he had in his childhood. "Selfishly, I like to say that I want to have fun too," Prior said. "I want the experience that my students have be something they look back on fondly." Prior said he tries to integrate real world examples into teaching, which is a tactic he learned from one of his own teachers who used his side-job of roofing to explain math concepts. Prior has tried to recreate the same practical experience for his students while teaching them animal growth in science class. In a partnership with New Hampshire Fish and Game and the Keene Water Treatment Plant, every year, Prior and his students raise brook trout in the library and make their sketches as the fish age. Prior also takes his class on an annual trip down to a river, where the students release the trout. "We're going to remind them on the way as we're walking that anything that goes down storm drain will go into the river where the fish you've been raising for the past five months are going to be living," Prior said. In another project, Prior utilizes maple trees owned by local residents to teach his students about the production of maple syrup. Although it can be a challenge to maintain attention span in children, Prior said this practical application sustains concentration and avid interest in them. "[The students] are proud of the work [to create maple syrup] that they've done," Prior said. "They take it so seriously. Behaviors in the classroom can often be a struggle, but when it really counts, they know how [behave] right." In addition to teaching, Prior and his wife work with the Historical Society of Cheshire County and support public events at the Wyman Tavern through volunteer historical re-enactments. He has worked with the society's annual Wyman Tavern Brew Fest event, which offers local craft beer, music and food. At this event he roleplays the personality of late Keene resident Abner Sanger, who lived in Keene during the American Revolution. Sanger kept a diary about his day-to-day life, which has been published into a book. "My wife and I have developed our character portrayal, she's really the driving force behind it," said Prior, who added that Emilia portrays Sagner's sister in the annual Wyman Tavern reenactments. Prior described Abner as a loyalist who spent most of his time gossiping about people who lived in Keene. He was among those who marched to Boston from Keene in response to the Revolutionary War because he didn't believe in independence and held the notion that the revolution was a mistake. "So much of our narrative about the American Revolution is in favor of independence, but it was rather split just like so much politically today," Prior said. He said the most important aspect of sharing the history of the region through creative ways is to make it interesting to the average person. "What I value is bringing [history] to life in a fun way," Prior said. "It's making it interesting." Alongside Emilia, Prior also wrote a book to ease the understanding of America's founding documents for young children. Their book, "The Patriot Papers: Bursting with Fun Facts about America's Early Rebels (Behind-the-scenes History)" was released in April 2016. Katharine Schillemat, administrative assistant at the Historical Society of Cheshire County, said in an interview that Prior is a trendsetter because of his commitment to diving into the history of the area and exposing it to as many people as possible. "He's got a broader vision of engaging his students in the community that I think is important to creating this strong community," said Schillemat. "JJ and Emilia are invested in living here."