Nikol Kelley, language arts teacher at Centauri Middle School
Ask the students at Centauri Middle School, and they’ll tell you Nikol Kelley is tops when it comes to her instruction in seventh grade language arts. “She’s 11 out of 10,” they respond. “No, she’s more like one million out of 10.” “Yeah, a million out of 10.”
In their teenage minds, she’s the best. “She knows her stuff,” is what the kids say.
This week, faculty from the Adams State School of Education surprised Kelley with the Educator Highlight Award to recognize her 34 years at Centauri Middle School. The occasion brought out the student testimonials.
“If things get confusing, she’s right there. Always willing to help,” one of the seventh graders said.
“It’s hard making language fun and she does,” said another.
Kelley herself credits the students for the work they do in her classroom. “We bring out topics, they talk, they work through it. They make it easy to do things with them. And learning should be fun, it should always be fun. You should want to be here.”
Over her three-plus decades at Centauri Middle School – all the years teaching from the same classroom – she says she has seen more changes in grownups than the students themselves.
Here is an exchange with the teacher as the students listened in:
Tell us what you’ve seen in your career with students then and students today?
Nikol Kelley: Students aren’t any different. A lot of people will say ‘Kids today are harder’ or ‘They don’t work as hard.’ That’s not true. Adults are different today. They’re way different. The kids come in with the same attitude that they’ve always had. They come in with the same like or dislike for subjects or whatever we’re doing. I think it’s an adult issue that it’s easy to say, ‘Students are just so different. Kids are so different today.’ I don’t think we’re as accepting of their silliness as maybe they were back in the day. Right now kids like to say ‘6, 7.’ Who cares? When we were kids, we said stupid stuff all the time too and our teachers had to deal with that, and it wasn’t a big deal. The students are the same. We are different.
What about teaching in terms of teaching language arts, teaching English – have you adjusted your style?
Kelley: Oh my gosh, I feel so sorry for the kids I had my first five years. A disservice to them, I was a horrible teacher. I kept them in rows and ‘You have to do it like this. You have to be … there’s only one way.’ That is not true. So yes, I’ve changed my style so much and instead of being the teacher who talks all the time, I talk some and they do the work and they tell me because whoever’s talking and reading and writing, they’re the ones that are learning. And if I’m doing that the whole time, I’m learning a lot that day, but they’re not learning anything. So I had to switch my perspective on that. My job is not to stand here and talk all hour and make them take notes. I want them to find out information and then tell me what they learned.
What about the subject matter that you teach in terms of how you see the subject matter on the importance scale?
Kelley: Language is always going to be important. No, we don’t teach spelling anymore. I don’t teach a lot of vocabulary anymore. They have instant access to a thesaurus or to a better word, or AI. Give me a better way to say this. So it’s more about teaching them how to make a solid sentence, a solid paragraph, and then what can you add or where can you go to make it better? And how can you prove you’re right when you say it?
If you know a teacher like Nikol Kelley or any educator doing exceptional work in the San Luis Valley, make a nomination for the Adams State Educator Highlight Award.
PAST EHA WINNERS
Presley Garcia, Monte Vista special education teacher
Nick Dionisio, Alamosa High English teacher
Aaron Miltenberger, Boys & Girls Club executive director
Anna Bishop, Center High School CLD teacher
Phyllis Vigil, Sierra Grande first-grade teacher
AlexAndria Moore-Guenter, Moffat Schools secondary counselor
Omar Gonzalez, Alamosa Elementary visual art and music teacher
Leanna Brazel, Alamosa Elementary kindergarten teacher
Freddy Lawrence, Alamosa Elementary custodian
Joe Guenther, South Conejos School District
Katie Turner, Del Norte math teacher
Edwin Mondragon, Monte Vista High School agriculture teacher
Aaron Williams, GOAL High School English teacher
Miriam Baines, Alamosa High School biology and math teacher
Rachel Kellum, Moffat Schools art teacher
Darlene Pinales, Sargent School District, food service staff member
Upward Bound summer faculty, Adams State University
Erika Henderson, chemistry teacher Alamosa High School
Jay Sarason, aviation teacher, Sargent High School
Domingo Estrada, director, Semillas de la Tierra
Lisa Lucero, preschool teacher, Moffat School District
Scott Honeycutt, ASD’s transportation director and chief safety officer
Annette Sisneros, fifth-grade teacher, Alamosa Elementary
Taylor Hubbard, K-12 art teacher, Centennial School District
Lauren McKinney, science teacher, Sangre de Cristo Schools
Amanda Stagner, business teacher, Alamosa High School
Laura Hegey, third-grade teacher, Alamosa Elementary
College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) staff, Adams State University
Student Support Services, Adams State University
Kelly Reynolds, Sanford Elementary
Pat Naranjo, Centauri Middle School
ABOUT THE EDUCATOR HIGHLIGHT AWARD:
This monthly award recognizes Adams State University School of Education alumni, prominent local teachers, and other educators working within or hailing from the San Luis Valley. In so doing, Adams State University hopes to build familiarity with the community as a serious destination for future educators. Nominate an educator.
