As some have mentioned, it really is humbling to be included among the ranks of such a distinguished group of educators. The award validates how challenging teaching mathematics really is. Surely, even those of us among this group of educators, feel there is much more to accomplish in our careers. I have been blessed to work with administrators that have allowed me to take risks, fellow educators who have challenged my educational beliefs, and students that have believed in what I was doing.

John Hayes Eagle River, WI | 7-12, Mathematics, 2015

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

John Hayes has been teaching mathematics at Northland Pines High School for 16 years. He teaches freshman through seniors in Algebra I, Algebra II, Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus BC, and AP Statistics. He is currently on a leave of absence to gain experience as an Academic Coach of Mathematics. John uses his experience in biostatistics at Indiana University Hospital to help students understand the relevance of statistics in his AP Statistics courses. This provides a valuable link to students’ writing skills as they create a technical paper for a final research project. As a presenter at state and national conventions, John shares his experiences in piloting a one-to-one classroom, and his experience in a standards-based learning environment. John makes use of his Air Force skills as an electronics technician to teach students about engineering in the free Summer Engineering Camp. Additionally, he uses his computer programming skills to teach middle school students about coding. John also facilitates workshops during the summer for schools adopting College Preparatory Mathematics courses. John earned a B.S., magna cum laude, in applied mathematics from the University of Wisconsin–Stout and a M.S. in applied statistics from the Purdue University. He is a certified Master Educator Teacher in 6–12 mathematics and is a National Board Certified Teacher in adolescent/young adult mathematics.

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