A beaming Legacy Award winner Glenda Van Horne, who teaches at IS 211 in Brooklyn, appears onstage to accept the honor.

UFT Vice President for Middle Schools Richard Mantell applauds middle school educators for hopping “on the adolescent roller coaster willingly, and we’re there for all the highs, lows, twists and turns, even when it feels we’re riding blindfolded.”

Staffers from MS 137 in Queens surround their school’s honorees (center), Amelia Rajkumar-Singh, Andrea Sitaram-Bhika (holding flowers) and Marisa Teitelbaum.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew tells middle school educators that they have his full respect given how challenging it is to teach adolescents, saying, “What you do is very, very difficult.”

Personalized Support Award-winner Dalainy Amador (center) is flanked by fellow teachers Gordana Micovic (left) and Kellie Fitzgerald, all from Thomas C. Giordano MS in the Bronx.

Teachers Shantae Renfroe (second from left) of the South Bronx Academy for Applied Media, Dawn Power of JHS 8 in Queens and Rashedah Henriques (right) of the MS of Media, Law and Fine Arts in Brooklyn, appear with Mantell after receiving their Student Engagement Awards.

Term Student Impact Award winners Nicole Keaster of IS 5 in Queens and Jason Batus of IS 239 in Brooklyn prepare to take the stage to receive their awards.

Staten Island teachers Julia Snyder (left) of IS 27, Rosemarie Nalbat of IS 61 and Cliff Hagen of IS 72 celebrate their Learning Environment, School Culture, and Community Engagement awards, respectively, before the start of the event.

Honorees gather onstage with Mantell (eighth from left) for a group shot.