LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

April Wilds-Hassler was nominated anonymously.

To create a positive classroom, Mrs. Wilds-Hassler ensures that her students have a say. As a class, she and her students decide on rules and expectations at the beginning of each day. She has daily conversations with her students to learn about them outside of school. She also gives them the opportunity to earn lunch with her or free time to build or play games so they can still be kids and know she cares. Mrs. Wilds-Hassler also utilizes projects from teaching Gifted classes to keep her students engaged and motivated to learn.

Most importantly, Mrs. Wilds-Hassler doesn't hold past mistakes over students' heads. Each day presents a new opportunity to achieve success. Whatever happened in the past is over, and we all start each day on a positive note. This lets the students know that she will give them a consequence, but the mistakes do not define who they are, and she cares about their success, even if they have a bad day.

Mrs. Wilds-Hassler's most pressing classroom needs are stools for flexible seating options, as she believes not all students learn best when sitting at a desk. She wants students to have the flexibility to sit wherever they want, so they can learn and focus at their best. She also needs everyday supplies like pencils, whiteboards, dry-erase markers, scissors, notebooks, binders, printer paper, markers, crayons, a stapler, and a paper cutter. Her school is a Title 1 school, so her students come from families who do not have much money.

Mrs. Wilds-Hassler holds a Master's degree with a Gifted endorsement. She was a team lead and also ran a community group. As she led the community group, she organized and ran various activities for the families at the school, providing them with fun and safe activities to attend. Mrs. Wilds-Hassler has also established numerous community connections to facilitate donations and offer fun rewards to staff and families, ensuring everyone feels appreciated and supported.