Teacher of the Year: Aletia Hagedorn

‘KIND and genuine’ psychology teacher Aletia Hagedorn has received two nominations for the HSBC-sponsored Teacher of the Year award.

‘Not only is her teaching superb and packed with passion,’ said Nicole Hubert, ‘but her supportive and compassionate nature is also unique. From just checking up on you from time to time, to being a key role in someone’s support system, Ms Hagedorn is always someone you can count on and she never fails to put a smile on our faces.’

Emily Abreu described Aletia as ‘bubbly, kind and someone who genuinely believes in you’.

‘Ms Hagedorn brings joy to the classroom and is always there to offer support, whether that be education-related or not,’ Emily continued, ‘she truly cares about all of her students, not just in terms of academics, but also in regard to our mental wellbeing, which is so thoughtful.’

Nicole added: ‘Through both lockdowns, she went out of her way to check up on her students individually. This was something she was doing even before Covid-19 and continues to do now.

‘The number of additional contributions she makes behind the scenes is genuinely remarkable. These small things have helped us feel heard and understood, academically and personally – particularly during the rollercoaster surrounding grades and exams. She has been a guiding and supportive hand for us all, reassuring us at every step of the way no matter what was thrown at us.’

‘Throughout our sixth form journey, she has been the loveliest and most supportive teacher we could have asked for,’ said Emily.