BROOKINGS — Alysha Hamann, a special education teacher at Mickelson Middle School, has gained recognition as one of the best teachers in the state, being named South Dakota’s Region 1 Teacher of the Year.
According to a statement from the Brookings School District, “Alysha’s dedication to her students, her passion for inclusive education, and the meaningful connections she builds each day make a lasting impact in our schools. This recognition is a reflection of the care, commitment and excellence she brings to her work. We are so proud of Alysha and grateful for the difference she makes in the lives of students and families.”
Hamann is a native of Santa Mora, Wisconsin. She graduated from South Dakota State University in 2005 with a degree in human development and family studies.
She then moved to the Chicago area, where she was a foster care social worker.
She move back to Clear Lake in 2014 when her husband decided to help operate the family farm near Brandt.
She substitute taught in the Deubrook and Deuel school districts.
She then went on to obtain a master of arts degree in teaching special education from Black Hills State University in 2022.
In 2022, her family moved to Brookings, where she was able to get a job in the Brookings School District.
Hamann lives in Brookings with her husband, Reid, an engineer who works at Basin Electric at Deer Creek Station in Elkton.
They have three children: Noah, 14, is an eighth-grader at Mickelson Middle School; their daughter Meredith, 12, is a sixth-grader at Mickelson; and their son Caleb, soon to be 9, is a second-grader at Dakota Prairie Elementary School.
She said she enjoys working at the middle school level. “I knew my calling was working with middle schoolers because they’e at this really unique age where adults don’t matter and peers are everything. And so they’re learning how to be social. They’re learning about relationships. And they need a lot of guidance. … Their path is not cemented but it’s kind of paved.”
She said she enjoys her work and helping her students through this transitional period.
“Honestly, it’s hard for me to believe that I get paid to do what I do,” she said.
Hamann said she’s been able to establish mutually beneficial relationships where she learns from them as much as they learn from her.
She said she received the school level teacher of the year and and then went on to get the regional honor.
The state title would bring many opportunities to share her story, including speaking at universities and networking with other state winners at events like NASA space camps and visits to the Google campus.
The regional winners will be honored at a ceremony in September where the state teacher of the year will be named.
The state winners will then go on to a national contest.
In a South Dakota Department of Education news release, Allison England, teacher quality specialist, stated, “Each year, the department receives applications from exceptional educators across South Dakota. Celebrating Teacher of the Year is one way we can continue to uplift our educators and reassure them on the impact they are making every day.”
The other teachers who were named regional teachers of the year are:
• Region 2: Christina Berger, Harrisburg School District, third-grade teacher.
• Region 3: Krissa Korkow, Huron School District, first grade teacher.
• Region 4: Erich Schaffhauser, Aberdeen School District, media production teacher.
• Region 5: Kathryn Swank, Rapid City Area School District, fifth grade teacher.
— Contact Doug Kott at [email protected].
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