Honor Science, Math Teachers Who 'Sign Their Work With Excellence'

A shoddy essay on Ferdinand Magellan earned Algebra Teacher Luke Schordine, winner of a Sloan Award for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics, a piece of advice that would eventually become his guiding principle as an educator.

“My dad asked to see my homework—which he never did—and I reluctantly handed it over and he told me to do it over. He said ‘sign your work with excellence,' " Mr. Schordine told students, friends and family members at the Dec. 11 event in Cooper Union’s Great Hall. “When I started teaching, I struggled for a little bit to find a teaching philosophy. I eventually found that my dad’s words worked really well. It’s a great phrase that asks people to do their best, and to continuously get better.”