“From day one, Brandy has been a contributing member of the middle school social studies department,” says co-worker Jeff Offutt. “Brandy has been able to bring new ideas, techniques and points of view to our department, and she was able to do so while listening to others ideas and then blending the old and new together.”
Brandy Haugen is a teacher at Horizon Middle School. She has been teaching at Moorhead Area Public Schools for seven years, instructing a variety of courses including AVID, Minnesota History, U.S. History and Global Studies. She is one of nine teachers nominated as Building Representatives of the Year, a peer nominated program facilitated by Education Moorhead. One teacher will be named the Moorhead Teacher of the Year and move on as a candidate for Minnesota Teacher of the Year.
Haugen’s care for her students cannot be overstated by her co-workers. “Brandy has never hesitated to do whatever is best for her students,” Lauren Fink says. “She has worked tirelessly to create positive relationships, create content that will engage students and also differentiate content that meets individual's needs. She will always go that extra mile to help students succeed.”
The impact she has made on her fellow staff has not gone unnoticed. “Brandy works so hard to ensure her team feels supported, whether that be helping out with lesson plans, making a few extra copies, or just being a listening ear for those times we just need someone to talk to,” Fink says. “We always know that Brandy has our backs.”
Haugen’s colleagues and friends clearly highlight how essential she is to daily life at Horizon Middle School. Haugen also highlights what they have done for her, saying, “I have grown so much as an educator thanks to many of the colleagues I’ve worked with, and most importantly, my students.”
Congratulations to Haugen for being nominated as Teacher of the Year at Horizon Middle School East. See below for the other building level nominees.
- Kristen Hayes, S.G. Reinertsen Elementary
- Kelley Larson, West Central Academy
- Chris Lien, Moorhead High School
- Michelle Sailer, Robert Asp Elementary
- Stacy Schroeder, Ellen Hopkins Elementary
- Patty Schmidt, Horizon Middle School West
- Joanna Struck, Dorothy Dodds Elementary
- Brittany Torgerson, Probstfield Early Learning Center