Science teacher Mickey Dickson was named this year’s high school IUSD Teacher of the Year on Feb. 24. Dickson was nominated by other staff members and chosen based on his contribution to the school from a pool of other candidates. 

“There are so many good teachers, not just at this school, but throughout the district,” Dickson said. “To be honored and named as one of the top in the district is a pretty big deal.” 

Dickson expressed gratitude for the people who he has met and been inspired by throughout his nearly three-decade-long journey as an educator. With 29 years of education experience—19 of them at Northwood—Dickson has played an integral role in shaping the science department and its students. 

As the head of the science department, Dickson was involved in creating the Integrated Science courses, as well as the Forensics Science classes for the Honors Forensics core, a unique Northwood program introduced three years ago to provide students with a new approach to interdisciplinary education. 

Throughout his teaching career, Dickson explained that the challenge of teaching high school students inspires him.

“I hope to get my students engaged in science,” Dickson said. “To know that science is how we think and how we make our society better.”