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Photo: Mr. Richard Genua and Family celebrate his Teacher of the Year Award at a reveal ceremony on June 17, 2025 at Watertown High School.

June 17, 2025 — Watertown Public Schools is proud to announce Richard Genua as the 2025 Teacher of the Year, honoring his extraordinary dedication, innovation, and commitment to student success at Watertown High School.

Mr. Genua’s 25-year teaching career, all in Watertown, is distinguished by his exceptional academic preparation and tireless pursuit of excellence. He holds a BS from Guilford College, an MS in History and a Sixth-Year Degree from SCSU. He is certified to teach AP US History and is UConn ECE certified in three courses. Before entering education, Mr. Genua built a successful career in Washington, DC, serving as a lobbyist and Chief of Staff. His decision to transition into teaching was inspired by his passion for working with children and coaching youth sports. This unique professional background enriches his teaching, bringing real-world experience and a broad perspective to his students.

Mr. Genua is especially passionate about working with unified courses and enhancing practices to support Multilingual Learner (MLL) students. He is committed to diversifying and differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all learners, believing that every student deserves both high expectations and individualized support. During the 2024-2025 school year, Mr. Genua demonstrated his visionary leadership by creating and teaching multiple new curricula, including the MLL Civics and Unified Civics classes. He also serves on the WHS grading committee, ensuring high standards and fairness across the school.

Mr. Genua’s influence extends well beyond his classroom walls. As the co-creator of the WHS Recycling Club, he fosters environmental stewardship among students. He has led numerous service-learning projects, including organizing student visits to Apple Rehab, where his classes delivered 140 handmade greeting cards and Easter candy bags to residents, taking students from some of his courses to Kelly’s Kids in Prospect, strengthening community ties, and guiding Unified Civics students in creating a newspaper to learn about freedom of the press, and collaborating with the Publishing class to design an interactive map of WHS.

Mr. Genua also serves as an assistant coach for the WHS girls’ basketball team and organizes enriching field trips, such as leading ECE students to visit UConn.

Mr. Genua’s approach to teaching is deeply influenced by his experience raising four children. He strives to get to know each student beyond their academic performance, believing that understanding their lives, interests, and challenges helps him plan more engaging lessons and make learning meaningful and relevant. This personal connection is at the heart of his teaching philosophy.  He shared a moving story during his Teacher of the Year interview about supporting a struggling student—going so far as to rock her baby while tutoring her—demonstrating his unwavering compassion and dedication.

Please join us in congratulating Richard Genua, our 2025 Teacher of the Year, for his remarkable achievements and lasting impact on our students, school, and community.