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Gary Sheckman can thank his older brother for the satisfying 51-year career the younger Sheckman has spent teaching school.
“My brother was a teacher and I thought, ‘if he likes teaching, then I will like it too,’” says Sheckman. “I’ve taught nearly every subject from elementary school to senior high school and have always been grateful that I chose a career in education.”
In May of 2024, Sheckman will retire from Gulliver Prep, where he has taught U.S. History to fifth graders for 12 years. Previously, he was an educator for Miami-Dade County Public Schools for 39 years, launching his teaching career in 1973 and finishing it at Coral Reef Senior High School.
“Gary is a dedicated, passionate teacher who builds lasting, memorable connections with his students through his love of teaching history. He is a prominent teacher in our community who will be greatly missed,” said fellow Gulliver Prep teacher Stephanie Lafarga.
Sheckman grew up in Philadelphia and attended Penn State until his family moved to Miami in 1969. He served in the Air Force Reserve for six years as an airborne radar operator and completed his bachelor’s degree at Florida Atlantic University. He went on to earn a master’s degree at Nova Southeastern University. He has been married to his wife Iris for 40 years and has three sons and four grandchildren.
According to Sheckman, times have certainly changed since he began teaching. “My first classroom had no air conditioning so we had to open the windows,” he says. “We used blackboards and chalk and of course there were no televisions or computers.”
In addition to his teaching duties, Sheckman has been a board member of the Miami-Dade Council for social studies for more than 20 years. He has also served as an instructor of students and teachers at the Wolfsonian Museum in Miami Beach on the effects of propaganda. In 2015, Sheckman won the Paul S. Hanson Professional Award for Excellence in Social Studies Education.
“One of the most gratifying things I’ve done is to take students to Washington, D.C. over the years and introduce them to the majesty of the city,” says Sheckman. “When I get on the microphone and point out the buildings, parks and memorials, my students tell me I should have been a tour guide.”
He says that students have told him how they have been able to point out historical sites to their parents on subsequent trips to the city, which makes him happy to hear.
“If I can inspire them enough that they develop an appreciation for history, then I’ve done my job.”
Clearly, he has done his job, and so much more. Said one of his students to their parents recently, “Mr. Sheckman is the most amazing teacher. I never liked history as much as math but now it’s my favorite subject.”
