What does it take to be the teacher of the year? Is it the influence one has over his or her students, or is it the respect that both teacher and student have for each other? As Beckman High School’s 2008-2009 Teacher of the Year, Mr. Hallstrom posseses both essential characteristics. Mr. Hallstrom discusses what it felt like to be nominated, his views on the win, and the reaction from his colleagues. 
 

Every year, the teaching staff at Beckman High School is asked to nominate one teacher for the Teacher of the Year Award. After those votes are counted, the winner is announced alongside his or her fellow nominees over the loud speaker. From a long list of devoted and determined teachers, freshman English and junior English Honors teacher Mr. Hallstrom was awarded with the recognition. He admitted, “Just the thought of being nominated was amazing! I mean, being a part of a group like that was really honoring.” Along with Mr. Hallstrom, other teachers such as Ms. Ryan, Mr. Hochschild, Mr. McGill, and Mr. Goldenberg were also nominated.

When it came to the win, Mr. Hallstrom was taken by surprise. He expressed, smiling, “It was completely unexpected! This is an incredible school, and I love teaching at Beckman. It was truly an honor to win.” When Mr. Hallstrom won, Beckman administration and students brought him a white-satin sash, proclaiming him as “Teacher of the Year,” along with a sapphire-colored crown, balloons, and an edible arrangement. Mr. Hallstrom quipped, “When I was wearing the sash, I was trying to make it as masculine as possible.”

As a teacher, Mr. Hallstrom gains respect from his students due to his constant need for improvement. He explained, “It’s all about improvement for me. It’s like a being a parent. There is no such thing as a perfect parent; all there is, is room for improvement.” When comparing himself against the other nominees for this prestigious recognition, he simply shared, “I don’t think there is much difference between the other teachers and myself. I feel like we’re all a team here at Beckman.” As far as the support from his fellow nominees, Mr. Hallstrom delightfully revealed, “Everyone was so generous and humbling. It was nice to see the support from my colleagues!” He proudly continued, “I really appreciated it.”

Alongside the support from Beckman’s administration, Mr. Hallstrom received plenty of support from his students.  Junior Mitchell Krause expressed his feeling towards Mr. Hallstrom’s win by stating, “He’s [Mr. Hallstrom] so supportive, he’s funny, he’s honest, and above all, he’s encouraging. No student can ever feel defeated leaving Mr. Hallstrom’s classroom." Fellow junior classmate Camy Jun exclaimed, “The level of respect he shows his students makes it impossible for his students to not respect him.” She continued, “The level of admiration in the classroom inspires students to put forth extreme amounts of effort. He truly is the teacher of the year!”

Mr. Hallstrom will continue to inspire and influence his students and colleagues everyday. This recognition only adds to his already prominent standing at Beckman High School.