05/04/2026
Our Excellence in Education award winner.
🍎 “Why I Teach” is a series that highlights the dedicated educators of Norwalk Public Schools. Through their stories and insights, teachers share what inspires them, the challenges they navigate, and the meaningful moments that define their work, all centered on their “Why”: our students.
As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, we are especially proud to recognize this year’s Excellence in Education award recipients, who will be honored for their outstanding impact in our schools. 👏
Together, this series and this recognition shine a light on the passion, commitment, and lasting difference our educators make every day. 💙
Today, we celebrate Nicole Stockfisch, a physical education teacher at Brien McMahon High School.
✨ What inspires you to do this work every day?
Seeing students smile, laugh, and genuinely enjoy their time on the Brien McMahon campus—whether in the classroom, hallways, or at athletic and extracurricular events—is incredibly rewarding. Helping them create meaningful memories they can look back on and say, “Remember when we did that? That was so much fun,” reinforces the value of the work I do each day. It is also especially meaningful to witness students’ growth from grade 9 through grade 12. Watching them mature, develop confidence, and evolve into young adults is a powerful part of this profession. This is particularly impactful when students who may have faced challenges early on are able to reflect, make positive changes, and find their own path forward.
📚️ Tell us a time you were proud to be an educator.
Being an educator certainly comes with challenging days, but the moments that make it worthwhile are the ones when a student sends a thank-you note or reconnects after graduation to share the impact you had on their life. Those experiences are deeply meaningful—they reaffirm your purpose and provide the motivation to continue doing the work.
🌟 Who is your hero? Who is your teaching inspiration? Why?
Deb Spinelli my elementary physical education teacher later became my high school PE teacher, as well as my high school soccer coach and athletic director. She consistently challenged me to succeed both academically and athletically, supported me during difficult times, and played a key role in helping me pursue college and continue playing soccer. We have remained in contact to this day. What set her apart was the meaningful relationships she built with her students. She inspired me to become a teacher and coach, and to prioritize building strong connections with my own students. I have found that establishing these relationships not only fosters a positive learning environment, but also makes teaching more effective and allows me to better support students by going the extra mile for them. She is still working and I am sure continuing to do amazing work!
💙 What is special about our school? About NPS?
What makes Brien McMahon special is the strong sense of community. Being a BMHS Senator means being part of a family. Students, teachers, and staff always have someone they can turn to for support, guidance, motivation, or simply a helping hand. There is a genuine culture of mutual respect and care; just as I can rely on students when I need assistance, they know they can rely on me as well. I believe the same is true across NPS as a whole. There is a strong sense of community from one school to another, along with mutual respect among educators throughout the district. Both of my children attend NPS schools, and I have confidence that the adults who work with them care for and support them as if they were their own. That level of commitment is truly special and a significant reason why I chose for my children to be part of NPS.
