I feel extremely lucky to be a teacher. I am lucky that I get to work with young minds; that I get to help my students learn to love science; that I get to experience that lightbulb moment when students suddenly understand a concept; that I get to laugh every single day with my students; that I get to see the results of perseverance, of hard work, dedication, and learning. I am lucky to be nominated and recognized for doing the work that I love. I wish all teachers could be recognized like this!

Kathleen Hiteman Middleton, WI | K-6, Science, 2012

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Kathy Hiteman has taught science for the past 23 years in the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District. She has spent the last 3 years teaching sixth grade at Kromrey Middle School and previously taught fifth and sixth grade at West Middleton Elementary School and Glacier Creek Middle School. One of Kathy's legacies is the annual camping trip that she initiated in her district. Each sixth grade student in the district goes to Upham Woods, an environmental education camp. She has successfully taken thousands of students and parents on this overnight field trip to further their study of the environment and outdoor learning.   Another of Kathy's legacies is more than a dozen student teachers mentored by her in her classroom. Kathy truly enjoys working with new teachers and is inspired by them. Although Kathy has won numerous awards, including a Cooperating Teacher award from the University of Wisconsin; the Kohl Award, for superior ability to inspire learning; and the first Distinguished Educator award from her school district, her greatest reward continues to be the ability to instill in her students a true love of and excitement for the subject of science. Kathy has a B.S. in elementary education and an M.S. in curriculum and development from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is certified in kindergarten through eighth grade elementary education.

Know a great teacher like Kathleen Hiteman?