Kira Guyotte wears many hats on JHop’s campus: she’s a science teacher, instructional staff developer and volleyball coach. Recently, she was crowned with a new title: JHop’s Teacher of the Year.

Ms. Guyotte said she was in absolute shock when she was notified of the achievement when JHop Principal Ms. Scott entered her classroom with balloons, flowers and music.

“I was so excited, I did not expect it,” she said. “I was speechless.”

Ms. Scott said Ms. Guyotte, who started teaching at JHop in 2020, was selected based on her hard work and effort, helping JHop continue a good learning environment.

Ms. Guyotte supports kids not only in the classroom but also outside of them whether it’s mentoring or coaching, Ms. Scott said.

Giving the kids the help they need so they can be successful makes for a wonderful teacher of the year candidate, she said.

Ms. Scott said Ms. Guyotte has the right qualities that made her a great choice for teacher of the year.

“We look for a staff member that not only supports students, but that also guides staff members,” she said.

Ms. Guyotte stood out not to the admin team but her colleagues, Scott said.

Ms. Guyotte, who started teaching in 2018 at Meadowlawn Middle School, said she enjoys working with students and watching them grow throughout the school year.

Of all the things she teaches, Ms. Guyotte said she hopes her students remember the inquiry process and everything that goes into science.

“You can ask a question, do research and you can make the world knowledge a better place with all the questions you can ask,” she said. “I just really hope that they take that inquiry base line throughout their whole education.”