The Indiana Council of Teachers of English is thrilled to announce that Paul W. Hankins, a Silver Creek High School English teacher and our February "Teacher Feature" interviewee, is the affiliate’s award recipient for the NCTE High School Teacher of Excellence Award. Established in 2001 by the NCTE Secondary Section, this award recognizes and celebrates high school classroom teachers who demonstrate excellent practices and contributions in the classroom.
Honorees are chosen based upon a formal nomination and review process. This year, we had several strong candidates, but Paul stood out for being, as one recommender commented, “Paul is a champion for his students, school, and community.”
Paul has been teaching for 16 years in the West Clark Community Schools district, where he fosters an open classroom community and makes all students feel welcomed and respected. One of his recommendations noted, “Mr. Hankins is the quintessential definition of an educator, changing our world one student at a time.” While teaching in his district, he has earned his Master’s degree and has served as an adjunct professor for Indiana University Southeast. Outside of the classroom, Paul is active on social media, where he regularly shares his poetic reflections on his teaching.
Paul will be recognized by NCTE at the Secondary Section Luncheon at the NCTE Convention in Denver. For more information about the NCTE High School Teacher of Excellence Award, including past winners, click here.