Teacher of the Month
January
Kyle Ukena
Kyle is an industrial arts & technology education teacher (Tech. Ed.) at Lakewood Middle School. Kyle has been teaching for 16 years total, all at Lakewood. Inspired by great educators from his own childhood, he chose to pursue the pathway of teaching. One of his great joys is being able to build connections with students and follow their successes throughout their time within USD 305. He also loves encountering former students in the community and catching up on their achievements. A fun fact about Kyle is that this year he embraced the opportunity to teach Tech. Ed. for the first time.
December
Nancy Williams
Nancy is a seventh and eighth grade art teacher at Lakewood Middle School, where she has been inspiring students for 27 years. Her passion for teaching was sparked by her own former teachers, who recognized her natural leadership abilities, curiosity, and talent for making others feel welcome. Nancy enjoys the relationships
she has built with both her co-workers and students. Her greatest joy in life is bringing the arts to everyone and promoting the belief that art is for all—not just for those who are "good at it." She champions the idea that practice will show results. A fun fact about Nancy is that nine of Lakewood’s current staff members were once her students.
November
John MacKinney
John is a seventh grade social studies teacher at Lakewood Middle School. He has been teaching at Lakewood for the past six years. John previously worked in the sales and manufacturing industry for 20 years, he chose to return to school and finish his education program he started 28 years ago. John’s favorite part about teaching is being around the students and seeing them laugh and smile. He enjoys seeing students expand their knowledge and realize they understand the topics. A fun fact about John is that he likes turtles.
October
Dean Heckethorn
Dean is a sixth grade counselor at Lakewood Middle School. He has been teaching for 36 years total, three of those being at Lakewood. In college Dean realized he was not interested in working an office job but he was inspired by his father and his accounting teacher, Mr. Baker. And, he was interested in coaching. He chose a career path in education. Dean finds it rewarding to see students mature academically and develop towards their potential. A fun fact about Dean is that he was a basketball manager at K-State and he has coached five different sports in total.
September
Mitch Boggs
Mitch is a sixth grade history teacher at Lakewood Middle School and has been teaching for 16 years, all of which have been at Lakewood. He was drawn to teaching because of his love of history. His recent inspiration and motivation has been his love for spreading knowledge to others through asking questions. Mitch’s favorite part about teaching is when his students ask meaningful questions and gain a deeper understanding. Mitch finds that staying busy with meaningful work gives him pure joy.