7/30/2021
Education and Outreach
When teacher Nicole Hunt began conducting her online instruction during distance learning last year, she quickly realized that her students were eager for conversation beyond the class curriculum topics.
“They were at home with their family all the time, and really wanted to talk to someone other than a family member,” says Hunt, who teaches science at Wilbur & Theresa Faiss Middle School.
Hunt started opening up her Google Meet earlier in the morning so that her students could come in and talk with her while she ate breakfast.
“I’m a people person, so bonding has always been really important to me, but my students were looking to build a relationship just as much as I was,” recalls Hunt. “I never imagined I would develop so many relationships with students during distance learning.”
In recognition of her commitment to students when they needed her, The Smith Center honored Hunt as one of the top 20 teachers for its sixth-annual Heart of Education Awards, honoring outstanding Clark County School District teachers. Thanks to the generosity of The Rogers Foundation, she received a $5,000 cash prize and a $1,000 donation to her school.
“Teachers are usually the ones who are giving positive reinforcement, so the Heart of Education Awards are a great way to give positive reinforcement to teachers,” says Hunt.
Taking Her Class Into the Kitchen
One of Hunt’s solutions to address the challenges of teaching remotely was to take her students into her kitchen, where most of her science experiments could be safely demonstrated.
But Hunt’s kitchen also served another purpose.
The founder of her school’s cooking club, Hunt brought last year’s club activities into her kitchen.
“My principal wanted our students to have some social outlets during distance learning, and making the cooking club available fit the bill,” explains Hunt.
Hunt normally holds a lottery for students to participate in the in-demand cooking club, but this past year everyone was invited.
“The students loved seeing my kitchen, and I loved teaching cooking to them from there,” she says.
During cooking class, Hunt teaches her students many of the kitchen basics, such as how to crack an egg, cut an onion or hold a knife. The recipes they learn include as many different proteins and vegetables as possible, and the club holds a family night at the end of school year.
“I tell them that I will cheer them on when they are successful, but that I don’t do dishes,” she says laughingly.
A Calling to Teach
Hunt says she always knew that teaching was her calling in life.
She attributes her success to her philosophy, which is always to treat students with respect.
“If you treat a student with respect from day one, it’s likely you won’t have any discipline problems and they will stay engaged,” she says.
Still, Hunt says this past year of teaching really tested her abilities.
“I was terrified at the beginning of distance learning, and it certainly pulled more out of me than ever before, but it ended up being a very positive experience,” she says.
Hunt even continued teaching after contracting Covid-19, albeit without any symptoms.
Throughout the year, she embraced every challenge that came her way, including establishing and providing training on her school’s Canvas format, adding a calendar function to Canvas for both students and teachers, and figuring out a way for Google Meet sessions to be watched at a later time without having students’ names and faces visible and risking privacy issues.
“I’ve always been an overachiever,” admits Hunt.