Rich Ognibene stands in the doorway, welcoming his students as they stream into his classroom from the noisy, crowded hallway.

"Hey, Carl. How ya doing, bud?"

"Hey, Mr. O."

"Brad, you Fairport hockey star, you. What's going on?"

"Good morning, Mr. O," says a smiling young woman in a bright tie-dye shirt, as she rushes through the door. Ognibene (pronounced OWN-ya-BEN-ee) flashes a smile back her way, raises his arm and slaps a high five.

As the kids settle into their seats, the room buzzes with rambunctious chatter and laughter. It's Friday morning and these students at Fairport High in suburban Rochester are eager to get the weekend started. First, however, they must start the physics class of Rich Ognibene, New York State's 2008 Teacher of the Year.

Even so, there are no long faces, nor are there any detectable signs of dread. Yes, this is physics. But these kids look, well, happy.

"Good morning, my astute young physics friends," Ognibene says, smirking.

"Good morning, Mr. O," a chorus answers. The response is packed with equal parts sincerity and good-natured teenage sarcasm. The kids laugh and so does their teacher. This, it seems, is not your typical science class. It feels more like a family.

And that's by design.

A culture of family

"The thing I do best is create a culture of family in the classroom," said Ognibene. "I work very hard to create a place where students come in and feel valued and loved."

The philosophy, he added, is simple. "People do better when they are surrounded by love and support." When kids are nurtured, he said, great things happen.

"They become loyal to their teachers and their classmates, a synergy develops and they work together and they learn more. Part of my job in being an effective teacher is creating a climate where people are excited about coming to class."

Inspired students

"The Teacher of the Year program does an excellent job of putting the spotlight on teachers who know how to communicate with and inspire students," said NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi. "It is proven once more with Rich Ognibene." NYSUT is a major supporter of the Teacher of the Year program, which is run by the State Education Department.

Music, fire, small explosions — all are used by Ognibene to stimulate students and at the same time demonstrate the principles of chemistry and physics. During a lecture on the physics of sound, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" blares from a record player. Ognibene goes so far as to perform the zombie dance from Jackson's infamous MTV video just to pound the lesson home.

His students aren't the only ones who enjoy the antics. Principal Dave Paddock gets a kick out of the teacher, too.

"I get into his classroom at least a few times a year, and each time I go there I catch him making chemistry fun," said Paddock, who nominated Ognibene for the Teacher of the Year honor. "Kids are smiling, they're having fun, they're laughing.

"When I was in high school, I don't ever remember chemistry being a whole lot of fun," Paddock said. "I think when a teacher enjoys what they do, and when a teacher loves the students as Rich does, the kids can't help but learn and have fun doing it. That's the special quality that Rich brings to the classroom."

Bryan Marra, a Fairport junior who takes Ognibene's chemistry class, explained the teacher's popularity.

"Mr. O really brings the students into what he teaches," Marra said. "He obviously loves what he does and has a passion for chemistry and, you know, when you teach your passion you really get people to feel it."

Ognibene said he believes the trick is to make science both exciting and accessible.

"Most of us have to see it," he said. "We have hear it, we have to do it, we have to use multiple modalities to fully understand. With adolescents, in particular, the more ways you can present the material — particularly the more visually exciting ways — the better they are going to learn."

Union leader

A veteran of the classroom for 22 years, Ognibene has spent the last 15 at Fairport High School. He's shown not only a commitment to his students, but also his colleagues through his union work. Ognibene spent five years as vice president of the Fairport Educators Association and served as a building representative.

"Rich has been a leader in this union and this profession since arriving in the district," said FEA President John Baynes. "We all knew he was a talented teacher. But I also think Rich seamlessly brings together community leadership, union leadership and professional excellence."

As a profession, said Ognibene, "We all do better when we all chip in, stand together and we work to advance as a group. In my district, our union works hand in hand with our district leaders to do what's right for kids, and that's the way it should be."

Ognibene, who is openly gay, said the progressiveness and commitment to diversity on the part of both the district and his colleagues are important factors in his success. So, too, is his partner of 11 years, Matt Fleig, a doctor of family medicine in Rochester.

"I could not do what I do without his support," said Ognibene, "He helps me chaperone school dances, plays, basketball games ... students and colleagues all know him and love him."

Ognibene advises the district's Gay Straight Alliance, which focuses on helping kids who are coping with sexual orientation issues. He also serves as a mentor to new science teachers and works with class officers.

If anything's changed since he first entered the classroom more than two decades ago, Ognibene said it's the "excessive focus" on standardized tests.

"When my doctor tests my blood pressure, the whole purpose of that test is to see how I'm doing and to make me better if the numbers aren't good," he said. "On standardized tests, we assess and then we yell at the kids for doing poorly. We punish. That's the part I think is frustrating for classroom teachers. It's not that we're assessing. But it's how we're using the results. Rather than using them to get resources to the kids, we use them to punish."

Still, he said, he does not believe students are any different from how they were 20 years ago.

What kids want

"Kids today are motivated by the same things that people have always been motivated by," Ognibene said. "They want to be treated well. They want to have a successful life. They want to do everything they can do to be better. I think kids today are wonderful. I think kids today want to succeed as much as anybody ever before."

That Ognibene wound up in the classroom is hardly a surprise. Both parents — Richard and Elaine — are longtime professors at Siena College in Albany County.

"They would bring their classes over to our house and I would see how excited and passionate they were. And through teaching, they believed you could change the world," Ognibene said.

That, too, is something Rich Ognibene inherited from his mom and dad.

"You know, it might not be fashionable anymore to talk about the transformative nature of teaching in public schools, but I believe that deep in my heart," he said. "Schools are the answer. Every day I walk into my job and I know that I'm changing the future. It's the most important job in the world."

— Matt Smith