Congratulations to Will Hastings, an alumnus of UNT Mathematics and Teach North Texas who was recently recognized for his teaching excellence as a finalist for District Teacher of the Year in Dallas ISD. He is an Early College Algebra 2 and Geometry Teacher as well as the Math Department Chair for H Grady Spruce High School.

Throughout his career in Dallas, it has not been uncommon for Will to work seventy hours a week to effectively impact the learning of his students. During the pandemic, he worked even longer hours to create videos for his online learning platform and to conduct parent outreach.

"Being nominated as a finalist for the District Teacher of the Year feels like an extreme form of validation for all my efforts," said Will. "While I struggle to believe that I am one of the top four middle and high school teachers in all of Dallas, I am incredibly honored."

Will received his B.S. in Mathematics with a minor in Education from UNT in 2012.

"I went through the Teach North Texas program, where I learned discovery-based teaching. I have applied this style of teaching to great success in my classroom," he said. "I was also greatly privileged to be taught by some of the absolute best Master Teachers in the Teach North Texas program, and I try to model much of my teaching after them."

In the Teach North Texas program, soon-to-be teachers are put into a classroom setting in each semester. This means Will got to teach 4th, 8th, and 9th graders and the students at New Tech High before his student teaching. "These experiences allowed me to realize that teaching truly was my passion," he said.

Will also cites his mentors in the program as inspiration to teach. "John Quintanilla, Carron Collier, and Becky Osbourne really helped me through the TNT program," he said. "They gave me incredible feedback on my teaching and taught me many valuable lessons."

In his spare time, Will enjoys rock climbing, video games, hiking, and disc golf. He is currently working on his Master's in Curriculum Design and Instruction with an emphasis in Math from A & M Commerce.

His advice for future STEM teachers? "I think every Math and Science teacher needs to learn to communicate and write effectively. We've got the analytic side covered, but it's the soft skills of knowing how to address a wide range of student emotions and behaviors that separate a good teacher from a great teacher."