Dayton teacher named state’s History Teacher of the Year

Ashley Hogan, a sixth grade teacher at Dayton Elementary School, was awarded the State of Nevada History Teacher of the Year Award from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History on Wednesday.

As the state winner for Nevada, Hogan receives a monetary prize, certificate of recognition, an archive of books and historical resources for her classroom, and recognition at a ceremony in Nevada. She’s now vying for the National History Teacher of the Year Award, which is to be chosen in the fall from 52 other winners from across the country.

Hogan has been teaching since 1999 and has a passion for her students and history. From hosting ancient Rome, Egypt, and Greek days at Dayton Elementary to taking her eighth grade students at Dayton Intermediate School on an imagined field trip “across the west” like Lewis and Clark. She has continually shown her love of education and reaching all students goes beyond just one subject and her classroom.

Sixth grade student, Kaitlin Brown said, “Mrs. Hogan deserves this award because she makes learning fun. She truly cares about each of us and it shows in everything she does.”

“Each one of my students are like my own children. Teaching is a passion for some, but all who know me can attest that it is my life. I love to show students all aspects of education; not just a lesson, or homework, but how each lesson can be transferred across each subject. Each lesson involves so much more than one subject. Education is so much more than teaching; it is opening the minds of children, lighting the fire within, having patience, creating connections, and laughing. Education is what lights the way for our children-you can either simply turn on the switch or you can show them how to start the fire and light their own way,” Hogan said.