South Middle School 6th grade teacher honored with Golden Apple award

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - Our next Golden Apple visit takes us to South Middle School to honor an educator who shares many passions with his students. He thought his 6th graders were gathering in the cafeteria to hear news and announcements from principal Trevor Kohlhepp. Until the news was about him.

“A jedi knight, a dance party DJ, he’s also a golden apple. Yes, Mr. Brooks is South Middle School’s golden apple award winner (clapping, cheers)!”

Congratulations to South Middle school teacher Mikey Brooks for being recognized by his peers as the recipient of the Golden Apple award. And what better way to start off the morning with a hug from his daughter. Kohlhepp says Brooks is an educator that is “pretty well-liked and very much respected” by his colleagues. For Mikey, he credits his success in the classroom to earning the trust of his students.

“Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like and I kind of took that to heart. But to teach the whole student, to see them as a person and not as a number, not as a grade but to see them as who they are,” says Mikey Brooks. “Coming in with all their frustrations, all their joys, that’s what teaching is to me. Every day, every teacher is giving their best, but for other teachers who I love and respect, for them to reach out to me and say the brightest and best, oof, what an honor, it means a lot.”

“They want to know that the teacher cares about them and then they’ll start to give an effort and there’s no doubt that when you walk into Mikey’s room or if your in Mr. Brooks’ classroom or around the school that he the kids know that he truly cares, you’ll see him down on one knee at their level talking to them, he’s really engaging all the time. He’s wholeheartedly an educator through and through,” adds Kohlhepp.

Congratulations again to Mr. Brooks. He and South Middle School will each receive $500 dollars from the Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation and Mikey will also receive a beautiful golden apple at the awards banquet in April.

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