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A longtime language arts teacher in the Pella Community School District was named a finalist for the Iowa Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year award. Joan Nikkel, a 7th grade teacher at Pella Middle School, was selected among five other educators in Iowa for recognition by the Governor’s office and Department of Education.

Nikkel says she’s honored to be selected among some of the best teachers in Iowa, and she’s quick to credit the students she has taught in her three decades in education, as well as her colleagues and school administration.

Pella Middle School Principal Josh Manning says Nikkel represents the best of the Pella Community School District, with her ability to connect with students and what she brings to the classroom.

“For her to be a top five candidate for that is an extremely proud moment for me and for our staff,” he says. “We have a building full of teachers who could be nominated for this award and for Mrs. Nikkel to be nominated, it means a lot to us. She pours her heart into this and cares deeply for the kids.”

“The art and craft of teaching is important to her, but more important to her is the compassion she has for all of her kids. She finds a way to meet all of her kids where they’re at and how they come to her, and finds a way to push them to what she believes they are capable of.”

Nikkel was a finalist for this year’s state award, which was won by George Anderson at Cedar Rapids Kennedy. Stay tuned to 92.1 KRLS, including Let’s Talk Pella on Monday and Tuesday, to hear more about Nikkel and her career in the Pella Community School District.

Read the letter the Pella Middle School Student Council submitted for her nomination here: Mrs.-Nikkel-Teacher-of-the-Year-2