Nick Hartman

This week will be a double feature and doing one of these today was necessary therapy during trying times.

First up for the week is Nick Hartman. A Social Studies teacher at Falls Church High School, Nick teaches AP Psychology. I love hearing kids come out of his class raving about their mind-boggling debates about evolutionary behavior and seeing the sparks of curiosity flowing from their being in the form of questions, inspired by the varied styles of teaching Nick incorporates into his classroom.

I remember thinking “I want to be Nick Hartman’s friend” when I met him my first year at Falls Church and I am so glad that we even get to be senior class sponsors together! We are sad that we can't give the class a typical senior year but we are intent on finding ways to make it special for them!

Nick creates a welcoming environment for all his students and what I truly admire is how he has made an advanced college-level course accessible to all learners despite their prior academic history. He believes so strongly that all kids can be successful if we meet them where they are and maintain high expectations. A question that I am constantly asking is how to democratize access to gifted education and Nick helps push my thinking in the right directions. He is a fantastic problem-solver and is always two steps ahead when brainstorming solutions. I have grown tremendously in my ability to navigate the logistics of finance, regulation, and planning in education settings by being a sponsor with him and I admire that he is always willing to go the extra mile to not only support his classroom community, but everyone in the school (like organizing an entire bookroom to take something off a colleague’s plate!). 

What made you decide to be an educator?

Choosing the career path of a teacher for me was based on two experiences. One, was having so many amazing teachers in my life, but most notably several Social Studies teachers who truly stood out. From these individuals I developed my love for the discipline around middle school. The second was when I was sort of forced into becoming a swim lesson instructor. This was a position that I was incredibly nervous about. After a full season as an instructor though, it was clear that I was hooked. It then made sense to combine these two interests and I started down the path of becoming a professional educator and have never looked back!

Is there a memory from your time as a teacher that stands out?

There are so many memories that stand out from my career but one particularly bright one has to do with a field trip that we organized for our 6^th grade students to a local museum. The trip was filled with many laughs and smiles but the best part was how big of an impression that the trip had for the students. The trip took place towards the beginning of the school year and these students would frequently cite the trip in various projects, discussions, and assessments throughout the remainder of that school year. The trip proved to be so valuable that I look back on this experience and it still drives me to continuously find ways of doing more for students.

What big ideas do you have for change in the field?

One of the biggest changes that I envision for education is to provide more choice for students in what they learn, how they learn, and especially how they are assessed. The aim should be to draw more kids into being engaged, show all students that they can be successful, and teach how to monitor and track their progress towards self-selected goals that students are invested in attaining.

What does self-care look like for you?

When it comes to self-care I love to get out into nature with my wife and husky-mix dog named Phoenix. When not hiking, swimming, kayaking, skiing, or generally getting lost in nature, I love to cook for large gatherings of friends and family and enjoy a great meal with them!