It was supposed to be just a one-year program for students to take as an alternative to an AP class. But as it drew to a close in its pilot year, 2006, the Learning Involves Fulfilling Expeditions (LIFE) program had the sophomores and juniors thinking, “Well… what’s next?” With his colleagues, current Media Arts Program teacher Mike Davey helped expand the course into the freshman, junior and senior years, eventually taking shape as MAP.
Davey was nominated for the award by principal Greg Louie and selected as a finalist for the 2024 All-Star Teacher Award through NBC Sports Bay Area, which recognizes K-12 teachers in Northern and Central California schools. At nearly every game broadcast on NBC Sports Bay Area, finalists’ personal video vignettes have appeared during the commercial breaks.
Davey, who has been teaching at the school since 1992, was recognized for his “overall commitment, excellence in teaching, rapport with students and level of distinction,” according to a district press release. The public can vote for their favorite teacher at NBCSportsBayArea.com/AST until May 31, and the grand winner will earn a $30,000 grant for their school.
In co-founding MAP along with retired teacher and administrator Kerry Mohnike, Davey said he was inspired by a program that supported his wife throughout high school called “experiential learning” where students learned through engaging, hands-on activities.
“Students learn by critical thinking [and] by being put into a position where there isn’t an exact answer. They have to come up with a solution,” Davey said. “Whether or not someone’s a good president is determined by how students ask questions about it.”
Davey continues to incorporate this kind of active learning into his class activities, such as mock trials and simulations, where he can connect course material with current events.
“He pushes all his classes to use the information we learn from history and makes a change in our lives,” junior U.S. History student Aiden Chen said.
Davey also wanted to give teachers more freedom to explore different areas and methods of teaching for parts of a curriculum, leading him to help develop courses such as 1968 (a course devoted to exploring the events of 1968; no longer offered), Modern European History, History in Film and most recently, Ethnic Studies.
On top of teaching, Davey has coached dozens of teams in his years here, and is currently varsity head coach for the boys’ basketball team and the girls’ softball team. Through his coaching experience, Davey said he gets the chance to connect with his student-athletes in a much more meaningful way.
“You have a much closer relationship when you see them every single day and you have to face adversity, wins and losses,” Davey said. “You get to know people in a lot of different ways — I know my basketball players far better than I know my regular students.”
A persistent advocate for his athletes, he helped in fundraising $60,000 for the construction of modern outdoor basketball courts after the original ones were paved over for the parking lot.
On or off the court, Davey strives to empathize with his students, especially as someone who has struggled through loss himself.
“We live in a bubble, but there are still struggles that students face here,” Davey said. “It’s important to be not just a role model but someone who will listen and help.”
Junior Saira Ramakrishnan, who is in MAP and plays pitcher on the varsity softball team, points out the quote contained in Davey’s email signature, a quote Davey tries to live by: “You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”
