Brawerman teacher honored after being nominated by student

By Casey Russell

Isai German, a teacher at Brawerman East Elementary School, was recently chosen as a Transformative Teacher. The award came with a prize of $5,000 from Honored, a national organization that strives to elevate transformative teachers.

Shortly before the pandemic hit, then second-grade student Malin Scott approached German, Brawerman East’s Innovation Lab / Science Lab Specialist, with an idea to build a Little Free Library (LFL).

“I’m the guy with all the tools in my classroom,” said German, when asked why he thinks Scott came to him with her idea.

Scott’s interest was sparked by the little libraries she saw in her neighborhood while walking with her parents. The built

Karsh Center, like Brawerman East, is located on the Wilshire Boulevard Temple campus. The Center is an outreach space that provides dental, vision, mental health and pro bono legal services, as well as groceries and clothing vouchers to those in need. The now fifth-grade student thought a free library would be a nice addition for kids who accompanied parents to the Karsh Center.

During Scott’s lunch and snack time, she and teacher German set about making the student’s dream a reality. “Our school has a woodworking program that the kids participate in once a week. They get to dive in, handson. It’s all project-based. We teach practical skills that we hope they’ll take into the real world,” said German.

The pair did just that. “We used drills, impact drivers so as not to crack the wood, clamps — we attached hinges and made the frame for the plexiglass from an old ruler.”

Miniature house

The library is a miniature house on a stand that holds about 20 - 30 books. It took two weeks to complete and is a beloved addition to the Karsh Center.

Scott wrote to Honored to nominate teacher German, and he was selected as January’s recipient out of all the nation’s nominees.

“I’ve been a teacher at this school for six years and before that, I was on the nonprofit track teaching science and engineering. Teachers don’t go into this to get recognition and awards.

“We do it for the love of our students,” said German. “I am only one part of what our school is. This award is a reflection of our school, my family… This is nice. My mom cried.”

Students and parents who want to nominate a deserving teacher can visit honored.org. Each month from September through May, one teacher is selected to receive the Honored Transformative Teacher Award.