On this weekday afternoon, Anthony Natoliโs English class is out of the classroom. Instead, students are sitting in a circle in Sussex Technical High Schoolโs commons area, roleplaying the Salem witch trials of the 1690s and simulating through a game how a small New England town dealt with rampant hysteria and fear.

Itโs part of Natoliโs study of Arthur Millerโs play โThe Crucible,โ and reflects his hands-on approach to education โ a special focus at Sussex Countyโs career and technical high school.
โI love teaching, because it doesnโt feel like work. Itโs just right. Itโs rewarding,โ said Natoli, who has been named Sussex Techโs 2019 Teacher of the Year. โThe fulfillment is obvious, the feedback is quick, and the results are continuous.โ
On October 16, Natoli will learn if he will be selected as the next state Teacher of the Year at an awards banquet in Dover. Regardless of that honor, though, the Lewes resident said it is an honor to represent Sussex Techโs teachers. His platform as Teacher of the Year focuses on expanding project-based learning, an approach central to Sussex Techโs career and technical education curriculum โ all about learning and then using skills on a practical level.
โStudents need not only to acquire skills, but to practice them,โ Natoli said. โStudents need to graduate from high school with more than a piece of paper. They need practical and applicable skills to launch them into the next phase of life.โ
Natoli notably puts that philosophy into action in his role as director of Sussex Techโs theatre program, which involves about 100 students putting on four productions each year. Students act, sing and dance, but they also do makeup, costuming and directing; students from Sussex Techโs carpentry program help with set design, graphic design students create posters and playbills, and media broadcasting students film the productions.
Natoli said the productions are special because they are student-driven. He guides the cast and crew through months of rehearsals, but then steps back and lets them lead. โWhen the show opens, I sit in the booth,โ he explained. โIf they need me, Iโm there, but they run the show.โ
Natoli is also active in the Tech athletic community, serving as head junior varsity baseball coach. He sees extracurriculars and athletics as complementing the schoolโs mission to produce career- and college-ready graduates.
โBaseball always centers me,โ Natoli said. โI love the art of baseball, the thought process. Itโs another vehicle to create successful young people โ teaching the lessons of perseverance and leadership.โ
Natoliโs journey to teaching was not a direct route. Born in New Jersey, he cut his teeth on stage as a vocalist with the Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale, including singing in Italy and France at Carnegie Hall. He attended the University of Delaware and originally planned to go into medicine or law, but found his way into the classroom. This fall, he enters his seventh year at Sussex Tech, where he teaches 11th-grade English.
โAnthony represents the best of what our teachers offer โ heโs a dynamic, energetic and involved educator who cares deeply about student success,โ said Sussex Technical School District Superintendent Stephen Guthrie. โHe transforms traditional academic subjects into hands-on experiences, helping shape our students for college or careers in the best tradition of Sussex Tech teachers.โ
AT A GLANCE: Anthony Natoli, Sussex Technical High Schoolโs 2019 Teacher of the Year
Teaches: English and drama
Age: 28
Residence: Lewes
Family: Ianna Mosberg, fiancรฉe, an English teacher at Cape Henlopen High School
Education: Bachelorโs degree in secondary English education, University of Delaware; masterโs degree in career and technical education, Wilmington University
Quote: โMy best days in the classroom are when Iโm actively engaged with my class, and they are engaged with me.โ

