{"id":706,"date":"2026-05-21T20:06:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T20:06:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=706"},"modified":"2026-05-21T20:06:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T20:06:15","slug":"social-studies-teacher-who-promotes-equity-and-empathy-is-wakes-top-educator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=706","title":{"rendered":"Social studies teacher who promotes equity and empathy is Wake\u2019s top educator"},"content":{"rendered":"

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An educator who has been teaching for just four years has been named the Wake County school system\u2019s top teacher.<\/p>\n

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Matin Maani, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Apex Friendship Middle School in Apex, won the 2026 Wake County Teacher of the Year award at a banquet Wednesday night at the Raleigh Convention Center. Maani has been teaching at Apex Friendship since graduating in 2022 from N.C. State\u2019s College of Education.<\/p>\n

During his acceptance speech, Maani told his colleagues in the audience that his award is a collective victory.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a testament to the power of vibrant communities that nurture friendship, that recognize the nobility of every person and work together in service to humanity and its shared aspirations, which we so need today,\u201d Maani said. \u201cAnd I see this in all the principles of the faith that I am a part of, which is the Bah\u00e1\u02bc\u00ed Faith.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis award also proves to me that it truly takes a village to help someone grow, and that village, that family includes the wonderful students at Apex Friendship Middle School.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maani was praised for creating a learning environment where students feel safe, seen and empowered to grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe cares so much about the students, he\u2019s all about making them better and making every lesson engaging,\u201d said Jeremy Thomas, a fellow Apex Friendship seventh-grade social studies teacher. \u201cHe wants to see that every day when his students walk out of his classroom that they\u2019re just a little bit better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maani spent his formative years living overseas, according to a 2020 N.C. State news article<\/a>. His experiences attending an international school in China and volunteering at the Baha\u2019i World Center in Israel helped expose him to the importance of teachers.<\/p>\n

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In his classroom, Maani encourages students to engage with multiple perspectives and see themselves as active participants in their own learning. According to the district, this approach has helped foster a classroom culture built on empathy, curiosity and mutual respect.<\/p>\n

Outside the classroom, Maani is an adviser to the school\u2019s chess club and co-chairs Apex Friendship\u2019s Equity Committee. Wake says Maani has helped lead professional development centered on navigating difficult conversations and interrupting classroom bias.<\/p>\n

During his speech, Maani held up a paper crane that was a gift from his students. The students wrote their initials on the crane.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow blessed we are \u2014 all those who are in education \u2014 to stand beside our students and encourage them as they become champions of compassion, of justice, and unity in our world today,\u201d Maani said. \u201cMay we continue supporting one another as we accompany our students to discover purpose, to develop character, and learn how to contribute to the betterment of humanity,\u201d<\/p>\n

Maani was among the Teacher of the Year winners chosen from each Wake school. The list was whittled down to 10 finalists<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Maani\u2019s prize package includes a $1,000 check. Maani also gets use of a 2026 Chevrolet vehicle from Capital Chevrolet for the next year.<\/p>\n

Maani will go on to compete in North Carolina\u2019s Teacher of the Year program. Last week, Mariah Walker of the Wake Young Women\u2019s Leadership Academy was named the 2026 North Carolina Principal of the Year, The News & Observer previously reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read more Durham police charge driver with 15-year-old bike rider\u2019s death in April crash<\/a><\/p>\n

This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 8:45 PM.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Apex Friendship Middle School teacher Matin Maani won Wake County's 2026 Teacher of the Year for fostering respectful, inclusive classrooms and leading equity efforts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":705,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nSocial studies teacher who promotes equity and empathy is Wake\u2019s top educator - Durham Moving Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=706\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Social studies teacher who promotes equity and empathy is Wake\u2019s top educator - 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