May 8, 2018
Hayward, CA—Hayward High School’s Kyle Howard was named Teacher of the Year for 2018 by the Hayward Unified School District (HUSD). Howard teaches English at Hayward High, where he joined the faculty in 2014.
During his youth, Mr. Howard recalls gathering his grandparents in the living room and pretending that they were his students. “Teaching has always been my passion,” says Howard. “Even at an early age, I remember looking up to my teachers and wanting to be just like them,” he added. His passion for becoming a teacher grew throughout his high school and college years. Mr. Howard is from the Hayward area, attended Cal State East Bay, and previously taught at Bret Harte Middle School.
Howard studied English, literature, and creative writing while in college. He finds that the most rewarding part of his job is presenting material to students in ways that allows them to see themselves in the lesson and discover new things about themselves and the world. “Mr. Howard is an outstanding teacher,” said Principal Dave Seymour.
“He builds amazing relationships with his students, while at the same time setting high expectations and implementing rigorous lesson plans. He often provides extra support to students who need it during lunch and after school.”
HUSD selects the teacher to represent the district at the county competition by considering nominees with strong educational leadership who demonstrate passion and dedication to the service of educating students. Nominees are also evaluated for their ability to facilitate activities that benefit the school community as a whole. Howard will represent HUSD at the 2018 Alameda County Teacher of the Year awards ceremony later this year. Several teachers who were selected to represent their school districts will compete at that event to represent Alameda County in the state competition.
The announcement of HUSD’s Teacher of the Year comes during the district’s Teacher Appreciation Week. “We appreciate the work our teachers do year-round, but during May 7-11, we ask our community to make the extra effort to show them that their commitment and dedication is valued,” stated HUSD Superintendent Matt Wayne. “We are proud to have Mr. Howard represent the district at the county level and beyond, and look forward to celebrating all of our teachers during this special week,” added Dr. Wayne.
