Caitlyn Homol, MS, an International Baccalaureate psychology teacher at Brooklyn Prospect High School in Brooklyn, New York, has been awarded the 2024 APA TOPSS Charles T. Blair-Broeker Excellence in Teaching Award by the APA’s Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS).
Homol has been teaching for nine years, with four of those years in her current position at Brooklyn Prospect High School. She teaches a variety of psychology coursework, including International Baccalaureate (IB) psychology. She also works as her school’s IB teaching and learning coordinator and is a workshop leader for IB, training psychology teachers from around the world in both virtual and in-person settings. In 2023, she was a National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions Grosvenor Teacher Fellow.
Homol hopes she can impart to her students a sense of wonder at themselves and the world that they live in. She commented that she’d “also like them to graduate from my class with deep appreciation for a well-designed study.”
“It is not just about [students learning] the content. After all, that’s not really what led me into the classroom in the first place. I want students to use their knowledge to transform themselves and their communities for the better,” says Homol, who explicitly teaches research-backed study strategies each year to benefit her students in their future studies.
Anna Brosowsky, a former student, noted, “Ms. Homol possesses an exceptional ability to translate complex concepts into accessible and engaging lessons, fostering a classroom environment that encourages curiosity and critical thinking over memorization. However, I believe that what sets Ms. Homol apart is her unwavering commitment to her students—a commitment not simply to their interest or success in her class, but also to their personal success. Ms. Homol goes above and beyond to ensure that each student grasps the material inside her classroom and is also equipped with the tools necessary for academic achievement outside of it.”
Jamie Vaughan, director of IB at Brooklyn Prospect, commented that Homol’s “enthusiasm for teaching students about how psychology can be applied to explain and address real world situations is contagious. It’s thrilling to hear about our students engaging in discussions about how cultural dimensions might be applied to predict attitudes toward climate change, or how genes, environment, and behavior are interconnected. When we bring observers to her class, they are always impressed by the degree of collaboration and engagement they see from all students—and many frequently share that they learn something new while in the room.”
“Homol's record as an outstanding teacher of IB psychology demonstrates both her commitment to her students and to the teaching of psychological science. She is passionate about dismantling systemic inequities, and this passion guides her classroom practices and educational activism. TOPSS is proud to recognize and honor her work through the APA TOPSS Charles T. Blair-Broeker Excellence in Teaching Award,” said APA TOPSS Committee Chair Virginia Welle, MS.
The APA TOPSS Committee is excited to present this award to Caitlyn Homol, MS, for her knowledge, commitment, and engagement in high school psychology. Her work clearly advances the quality of knowledge and understanding students have of psychological science.
Former APA TOPSS Chair Dana Melone, MAT, interviewed Caitlyn Homol about her experiences and advice as a teacher.
