She could tell you how much potential energy is inside the Golden Apple Award

By HANNA MORDOH
WISH-TV | wishtv.com

WISH-TV celebrates extraordinary teachers in central Indiana with the WISH-TV Golden Apple Award.

The award comes with a trophy, $500 in cash thanks to our partners at Hensley Legal Group, PC, a school supply shopping spree to Teachers’ Treasures, and a surprise visit from the News 8 team.

March’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Katie Hagerty. She is a science teacher at Fishers High School and is also a coach outside of the classroom. Her students say she makes tough subjects fun.

Walk into Hagerty’s classroom, and you will notice the notes on the wall. Letters expressing admiration and gratitude from students emphasize the impact she is making from the science lab to the track. Proof that in this experiment of high school, one teacher makes subjects – loved and loathed – a whole lot more fun.

Juan Maccarone, 17, is a senior in Hagerty’s geology class. He says he’s not really a science person, but he’s enjoying class.

“She makes it different,” Maccarone said. “She sort of did a tournament where everybody participated, and we were in groups, and the top three got candy, the top two got donuts, and the top one got bonus credit on the next test.”

Hagerty teaches Earth science, geology, and the physics portion of ICP, or Integrated Chemistry and Physics. She has mastered the science of making it relatable to the teenagers in her class.

“I’m not a chemistry and physics lover,” Sage Keffaber, 15, said. She’s a sophomore who loves biology and genetics, but not physics. Still, Miss Hagerty makes it an atmosphere she enjoys. “She definitely makes it more tolerable, because the labs are so interactive.”

Gabriel Pyle, 17, agreed.

“Recently, we did a lab that involved a Hot Wheels toy, and we had to measure the velocity and acceleration of it,” Pyle said. “And using that Hot Wheels toy, it made it a lot easier to understand how velocity and acceleration work.”

Pyle says that Hagerty knows how to connect with students.

“She is always willing to help if you’re ever confused, and she’s always trying to get to everybody that she can to make sure that they all understand the subject.”

Keffaber added, “She’s just very pleasant, so I’m not really ever stressed going into her classroom. She’s patient, she’s helpful, so I can probably get through physics.”

Jacob Kapitan teaches the biology and chemistry portion of ICP. He says Hagerty isn’t the type of teacher to just teach science and call it a day.

“She’s really, really good at bringing that motivation, bringing that excitement, helping kids get excited about what we’re doing every day,” Kapitan said. “It’s, ‘Let’s tie it in with what they know, what they’re used to.’”

He says she incorporates music and content that resonates with students to help them better understand the subjects.

Science department chair Carmen Napolitano says she sees how Hagerty helps students shine.

“It’s not just about the content we teach in class, but the relationships we form, helping them find their direction, and I think that she does that amazingly,” Napolitano said. “She does a great job developing relationships with kids. I think that they all know that she really cares about them.

“They have a lot of fun in class with her, and I think that’s probably the most important thing to making kids feel comfortable with making mistakes and learning from mistakes is knowing that you care about them, that you’re there to help them out.”

She does this after school, too. Miss Hagerty helps run Quiz Bowl. Fishers High School is the defending state champion. She also brings her passion for running to the school as a coach for the Unified Track and Field team and Unified Football. Both bring students of all abilities together to compete.

“I’ve always said good teachers are coaches and coaches make good teachers, and she kind of embodies that,” Principal Kyle Goodwin said.

He added that her ability to coach and teach kids comes down to balancing love and accountability.

“She loves her students fiercely, and balances that with high expectations,” Goodwin said. “And I think that balance, as I said, is easier said than done. It’s something that I certainly want to give her credit for.”

That’s why she deserves the WISH-TV Golden Apple Award. So along with the superintendent and Hensley Legal Group, the WISH-TV team went to surprise her.

Personal injury lawyer Mitch Waldroup presented the $500 check to Miss Hagerty. Then she watched a video from her students and coworkers.

When asked how she was feeling, Hagerty said, “Overwhelmed.”

“I have never thought about doing anything else. I love teaching. I love being in the classroom, and I like science, so I want kids to like science. I want them to feel like science is in everyday life and it is around them all the time. Especially in physical science. The earth, physics, and chemistry – they help us understand the world we are in.”

She said she hopes people learn from her story that there are hard-working people making sure kids understand their world. Because in the science of teaching, that’s a hypothesis with a conclusion of success.

Do you know a teacher who deserves WISH-TV’s Golden Apple Award? Enter your nomination at wishtv.com/golden-apple.

This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/golden-apple/katie-hagerty-golden-apple.