As the 2023 school year comes to a close, history teacher Mr. Jeffrey Feinstein has unfinished business outside of the teaching world. Feinstein has been known to be one of the most influential history teachers in West Po history and he is now retiring, looking forward to working in history museums.

   “I will dedicate my time and work on something else… with 3 to 4 unfinished works, archives, museums, and research projects,” he said.

   Feinstein has had an amazing 24 years at West Po full of wonderful experiences teaching history. He loved when students in his class engaged in lessons that had to do with small things in his history classes.

   “My students were engaged and asking questions about this painting [in] which Beggars were receiving alms at the door of a house… A lesson is good when students are asking questions and engaged in what they are learning,” Feinstein said. 

   Prior to teaching, Feinstein attended law school and was a practicing lawyer. When practicing law wasn’t sitting well with him, he turned to teaching history because he felt it was a big responsibility to share his thoughts and knowledge with his students, which he still feels today. Feinstein’s mother was a kindergarten teacher and his dad was a journalist, meaning that with his strengths of teaching, reading, and writing he knew he would be able to reach and teach his students for years to come. From there, he has dedicated himself tirelessly to teaching and engaging with students.

   “I have the resolve to never retire and teaching has been forever gratifying,” he said.

   Feinstein also loves being involved with the West Po community. “I will continue to support West Po by going to Girl’s Softball and Boy’s Baseball games whether they’re home and away games,” he said.

   Every year Feinstein gets letters from past and current students to thank him for being an amazing teacher. He states that these are “Teacher Trophies,” and that this is gold in terms of teaching and makes teachers like him feel more appreciated. He still keeps in touch with many of his past colleagues and some students continue to write him letters and emails. In Feinstien’s 24 years of teaching, he has definitely changed West Po history and West Po in general as a whole. He will be missed by many students and not just students, but teachers that have known him for years. 

Social Studies teacher Ms. Cohen put it best “…he’s an absolute institution at West Potomac and West Potomac will be a lesser place without him. He has been the APUSH King, the AP Euro king, and he will be [very] much missed and students will be sad not to have him…So he’s awesome.”