Teacher of the Year finalist found inspiration at Binghamton University

Nichole Hantsch ’05, MAT ’07, MS ’08, has been named a finalist for the 2024 New York State Teacher of the Year Award — given by the state Department of Education — for her commendable work as a physical science teacher at Chenango Forks Middle School, located in Broome County.

While still a student at Binghamton University, Hantsch was inspired by all the possibilities of teaching and has dedicated her career to helping students reach their fullest potential.

Q: Why teaching?

A: Well, it’s kind of a funny story. I grew up knowing for a fact that I was going to be a doctor. In elementary school, middle school and high school, I had my heart set on medicine. I even started at Binghamton as premed.

After the first couple of years, I started to feel like maybe it wasn’t for me, even though I was still doing well in the program. During my junior year, Professor Weixing Zhu in the Biological Sciences Department reached out and asked if I had started any independent projects. When I said no, he got me involved in his lab, and I worked in the lab my senior year. He’s the one that convinced me to further my education and complete a master’s in biology at Binghamton.

Pursuing a master’s in biology was great. I was able to go outside and do all of this fieldwork all the time, and it was super engaging. Yet still, it felt like something was missing. It was another student in the graduate office who pointed out how I was always talking about my classes and my research, and that if I had such a passion for sharing my education, I should be a teacher. That’s what got me thinking.

Binghamton University’s School of Education (now the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Educational Leadership in Binghamton’s College of Community and Public Affairs) offered a full graduate program in teaching, and I decided I wanted to try it out. As soon as I was in the program, I just instantly fell in love with the idea of being able to share my education and my experiences with younger people who might be interested in similar things. I’ve always loved science, and even though my plans of becoming a doctor had changed, I was so excited to hopefully influence other people to love science as much as I did. I want my students to see how much I love to learn because I think it helps to spark that interest in continued learning for them as well.

Q: Why do you feel that teaching is a rewarding career?

A: I really love getting my students engaged and excited about learning. As a science teacher, I feel like science relates to so many things in life, and it’s so amazing to see my students get interested in it. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to study things like physics and chemistry and geology and biology, and being able to tie those things together and relate them to everything is such a great tool in keeping them engaged in the classroom.

One of the things I love to tell my students is that I can relate anything to science. There’s nothing they could throw out there that can’t be related to science, and they love that challenge.

That’s the best part, getting them to understand how science relates to so many parts of their daily lives. I think it’ll help them understand things like advancements in medical technology or power resources when they get older, and I think those things are important for kids to think about. I want them to know more so that they can be amazing contributors to their own futures, and getting to inspire that in a classroom setting is so rewarding.

Q: What drew you to Binghamton University?

A: Going to school at Binghamton University was amazing for fostering my interests, and since it’s such a highly regarded university, I knew I wanted to go there. Even though I’m from the local community, I’ve never felt like I missed out on anything by staying close to home and attending Binghamton University. I would not trade my time at Binghamton for the world.

There’s such a diverse population of students, and the faculty is absolutely amazing. Every professor and teaching assistant I ever had produced such amazing experiences in their classes. The school offers such a wide selection of interesting classes, I even took a German film class! I got to take things like scuba diving, skiing, and so many other fun activities that I probably never would have done otherwise.

Everyone at Binghamton University really seemed to have a passion for whatever it was that they were researching, and I got to meet so many people doing such cool projects in so many different areas of scientific study. Making those connections was so helpful as I decided to pursue a career in education.

For professional development, having the university so close to us is incredible, especially considering how well-known they are for their education epartment.

Even for people who weren’t lucky enough to have the opportunity to go to Binghamton University, the school is still so good about helping everybody, and I think that’s amazing. I’ve always wanted to do similar work for my students.

Q: How did it feel to be nominated for the 2024 New York State Teacher of the Year Award?

A: It was such an honor. Seeing the letters of recommendation that came in from the community were so heartwarming. As a teacher, you’re always trying to do the best thing, the most important thing, for your kids, and sometimes you wonder whether you’re making a big enough difference in the students’ lives. To hear that my students are still feeling the impact of my teaching, some of them even after graduating, made me feel so honored to have spent time with these students and these families.

Many of these kids are going on to do wonderful things, and to be a part of the spark that keeps them going is such a wonderful thing. It’s so exciting.

During the process, we were asked to write reflections on what we’d been doing, and it was nice to sit back and look at the impact I’ve been leaving. Teachers are so often so busy that it’s hard to focus on the whole of what you’re doing, and I liked that the reflections gave me an opportunity to see myself from the outside.

I’m so lucky and so glad to be able to do all of this, because I know not everyone can.

Q: Why teach middle school?

A: I started off thinking I would want to teach high school, and then I was offered a job as a middle school teacher, and so I took it. I knew I wanted to work with public schools, so I started teaching for Johnson City, and then I started working at Chenango Forks Middle School to have more freedom in my teaching career.

People say only the craziest teachers work in middle school, and even though that might have a little truth to it, I have so much fun working with that age group. Most of them are still so excited to learn new things, and even if they don’t show it every day, if you show them something they’re interested in they immediately zone in. In high school, there are a lot more students who have started to zone out during classes that aren’t their favorite. If they’re not interested, it can be incredibly hard to rein them back in. In elementary school, you’re with the same group of kids all day long. Of course, some people love that, and I give them so much credit. I just really liked the idea of being able to see different groups.

I feel like middle school really fits my personality. When I have my first class in the morning, some of the kids will be half asleep and look at me like I’m absolutely crazy when I come in. Within the first five minutes, they’re all talking and participating, and I think they really like the wake-up. It’s such a fun way of getting them moving throughout the day.

You never know what’s going to happen and what situations you’ll have to deal with that day, and it makes it so exciting. When they’re not with their parents, they still need that connection, that safe space, and I really like being able to provide that.

Q: As a member of the New York State Master Teacher Program, could you tell me a little bit about how the membership has affected your career? Did it help you get to where you are now?

A: I just completed my fourth year, and I have to say it was an amazing program. It gave me the opportunity to continue my learning without having to commit to full-semester classes, and they do an amazing job of connecting you with faculty at Binghamton University and quite a few other institutions. They put together such great courses and workshops, and they connect you to the community in so many great ways. It’s all about expanding our knowledge to be able to share with the students.

The Master Teacher Program really helped solidify my connection to teaching and showed me so many brand-new things I could bring into the classroom. The program also helps diversify teaching, which I think is really important. It was crucial for me to make sure that I reach every student, regardless of race, ethnic or socioeconomic background, educational background or anything else. The program helps you figure out how to best cater your teaching to every student, and when you have 100 students, that’s no small feat.

Even after finishing four years, I’m so excited that we get to go back and continue to work with that program and continue professional development. It’s all so we can be the most amazing teachers that we can.

Q: If you had to give someone who is thinking about pursuing a career in teaching one piece of advice, what would it be?

A: I’d say that it’s going to be hard, but it’s also going to be worthwhile. If you stick it out, it’s the most rewarding experience. Remember that you’re in it for the students. It feels so good to be able to make a difference and to see your teaching and your contributions positively impact the community.