By Emily Petillon
Managing Editor
The Los Angeles County Board of Education honored Costa Choir Director Michael Hayden on Sept. 27 as a recipient of the Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year award for the 2012-13 school year.
Hayden was chosen out of 74 L.A. County nominees and will move on to compete for Teacher of the Year at the state level.
“I feel very lucky,” Hayden said. “Usually, it is my other colleagues who get all of the accolades. The arts are rarely out into this kind of light, and it is exciting to be the one who is showcased in that spotlight.”
Hayden, with 16 other honorees, attended a banquet in Universal City to recognize the winners’ accomplishments as well as the 74 district teachers of the year nominees.
“It was very emotional and exciting,” Hayden said. “It was one of those days where I thought to myself that teaching is a profession that is completely worth while in the end.”
The California Board of Education received applications from the 16 county winners. Representatives from the board will choose eleven teachers to undergo classroom observation. In late October, it will decide on five teachers to compete for State Teacher of the Year.
“Mr. Hayden is one of the best teachers I’ve ever had,” junior Tatiana Bodner said. “Even on the worst days, I can walk into choir, and my whole attitude changes. He not only teaches me music, but gives me advice on how to be a better person.”
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