CENTER– Skoglund Middle School teacher Kevin Hagan, who teaches seventh and eighth graders at Center Schools, has been named Educator of the Year after being nominated by Skoglund Principal Luis Murillo and approved by the San Luis Valley BOCES evaluators.

Hagan was honored at a celebration banquet at Center Schools last Thursday. He declined to comment on the award but those close to him say he is a great teacher and very worthy of the recognition.

Principal Murillo expressed Hagan’s attitude best: “Kevin is very deserving of this recognition. His hard work and humility cannot go unrecognized.” Murillo had the following to say about Hagan in his nomination:

“Kevin is an excellent educator. He takes pride in the profession and it only takes a visit to his classroom to notice that he is a different kind of teacher; the way Kevin dresses, the way his classroom looks and feels and above all the way he plans and delivers instruction are proof of it. As evidenced by his lesson plans, Kevin designs his units backwards under the premise of keeping what he wants his students to think and create as the driving force of his units.

“Kevin is an avid research reader himself. He stays on top of the latest research on pedagogy. Kevin has also taken full advantage of the professional development opportunities he has been granted through the district. He is a leader in implementing — Thinking Strategies, Workshop Model, Google Classroom.  He has also worked with a co-teacher in the past and implements many SIOP techniques that have been proven to work for EL students.

“Kevin's classroom is often a model for his peers as well as visitors. He also leads breakout sessions when he has the opportunity to do so. As evident in his lesson plans and lesson delivery Kevin’s core belief is that ALL kids can achieve regardless of their language, background and socioeconomic status. Kevin engages every kid with a passion to get them to learn and wonder. Kevin is the driving force behind our English Language Achievers (ELA) data for Skoglund. As the principal, I cannot take any credit for our achievements on ELA as I myself have been learning under Kevin. Kevin and his peers deserve all the credit in regards to where Skoglund stands.

“There is not a single day where he does not use a strategy to get kids engaged, thinking and learning from each other. Kevin actively learn and Google classroom to flip some of his lessons. As Kevin has matured as an educator he has really relinquished control and this has fostered creativity and autonomy in his classroom.”

To the interviewing committee, Murillo wrote: “Center is not the most appealing town in Colorado, yet Kevin chose to not only work in Center but he now lives in Center. I am talking about an educator who is the first one in the building and often the last one to leave, someone who impacts students in the classroom, on the court and on the playing field.

“What others might see as obstacles (EL and poverty) Kevin sees as assets he can exploit. Kevin connects with his students in a manner no other educator I have worked with can. He challenges their intellect and his students respond. Kevin utilizes Socratic seminar as a way for his students’ thinking to be challenged. More importantly he uses this and other pedagogical techniques to touch his students’ hearts, and oh boy! He does!

“Kevin is loved and respected by his peers. On an opened invitation for his teacher of the year recognition lunch, every single one of his peers at the middle and high school showed up to congratulate and show their appreciation for him. That speaks loudly about how we feel about Kevin. I can truly go on and on describing this exceptional educator.”

Hagan will also represent the Center District at the regional SLV Educator of the Year recognition banquet.

CUT:

Center Educator of the Year Kevin Hagan cuts his congratulations cake at a recognition ceremony held at Center Schools last week.