Teacher Feature: Gina Haggerty

By Barbara P. Jacoby

Hickory Flat ES fourth-grade teacher Gina Haggerty sees her attitude as the greatest asset in her teacher toolbox.

The 24-year educator, who is her school’s 2022 Teacher of the Year and a CCSD Teacher of the Year finalist, is equipped with significant education and experience, but she believes it’s her enthusiasm that makes all the difference.

“My enthusiasm flows onto them,” said Haggerty, who also serves on her school leadership team and coaches the basketball club. “By using rhymes, hand motions or gestures, and creative visuals, my students are encouraged to play an active role in their learning. My students love it when I offer challenges or friendly competitions. While in social studies, they ask many questions and want to know more than what the standards call for. This curiosity guides the challenges and encourages them to have a love of learning. Working collaboratively is another thing that gets kids pumped and wanting more. Making connections to the real world as well as setting goals and celebrating successes (big and small) are a few other ways to keep kids excited about what they are learning.”

Haggerty’s own experience with an enthusiastic teacher inspired her career path.

“My third-grade teacher, Mrs. Bennett, believed in me,” Haggerty said, noting how she advocated for her and helped her learn to read — and to see her own potential. “She motivated me to become a teacher. She gave me the desire to love learning and to help others.”

She now works to ensure her students not only learn required lessons (and does so creatively such as through her Westward Expansion lesson that culminates in student research project-based Adobe Spark presentations from the perspective of a Native American or a settler), but also understand how invested she is in their overall success.

“I want to show students that they have so many possibilities within themselves,” she said. “Although some days are tough, it is a privilege to invest in their lives. None of us are here by accident. I hope that I make my students feel valued, listened to, and motivated to achieve their goals!”

What can parents do to help their child be as successful as possible at school?

“Parents need to know that they are part of a team, and by working together with the teacher, this benefits their children,” she said. “Ask your child what they are reading and talk to them about the details. Listen to them read and ask them questions to show that you are interested in what they are reading. Help your child prepare for an upcoming quiz or test by making flashcards or reading notes together. Encourage your children to persevere when things get tough and let them know it is OK to make mistakes. Use these mistakes they make as an opportunity to learn something new. Give your children responsibilities at home (taking out the trash, emptying the dishwasher, sorting laundry, etc.). This helps teach them responsibility and to take pride in everything they do.”