Alex Hacker

2018-2019 3rd Grade Reading 2017-2018 1st Grade

I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I knew what a teacher was. While setting up my pretend classroom nearly 15 years ago, my friend asked why I was making my desk so messy, since she knew it was uncharacteristic of me. “Because teachers’ desks are always messy,” I explained to her very matter-of-factly. Kids are aware of more than we give them credit for. They notice even the smallest details and while they may misinterpret being overburdened with paperwork as a generalization that all teachers are messy, it is important to realize just how keen they are. Though I have since discovered that I can in fact be a teacher and not have a messy desk, this memory has never left me, because it exposes the impact that even the smallest actions of teachers can have on their students. Because of their awareness, I believe students need loving environments where they feel valued in order to make learning their own. Therefore, you will find a lot of interactive activities that give students opportunities to engage in content and discover things for themselves.

I received the Ronald F. Whitson Award for commitment to teaching and service to Transylvania University. I also received the KY Teacher Education Scholarship in 2016 and 2017.

Transylvania University: Bachelors of Arts in Education with Educational Studies Minor, which focused on the philosophical framework of education and social justice issues in education