Photo by Erin Nelson.
Kevin Pughsley, a sixth grade Earth science teacher at Berry Middle School, gives instructions on an assignment as the class learns about core samples and geologic columns of the Earth on Jan. 6.
Kevin Pughsley, a sixth grade science teacher at Berry Middle School, was chosen as Hoover’s Secondary Teacher of the Year for the district. He is known for his mastery of content, leadership in instruction and creative and hands-on learning techniques, and is in consideration for Teacher of the Year for the state’s school board district 3.
Pughsley is in his sixth year at Berry Middle and 16th year of teaching overall. He previously taught 10 years as a sixth-grade science teacher at Calera Middle School in the Shelby County school system.
He was named Calera Middle School’s Teacher of the Year in 2008 and 2014, the Shelby County Middle School Teacher of the Year in 2014 and was his school district’s nominee for the Jacksonville State University Teacher Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Alabama Science Teacher Association Middle School Teacher of the Year for 2018.
Pughsley won the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching in 2018 and was a teacher ambassador for the Alabama Educator Space Camp in 2017. In 2022, he led Berry students to a state championship in Tests in Engineering Aptitude Mathematics and Science, qualifying them to go to nationals in Dallas.
He is the head of the science department at his school, plans professional development for his fellow science teachers and mentors and teaches other teachers through the A Plus College Ready program.
Melissa Hadder, the principal at Berry, when asked how she would describe Pughsley, said it’s hard to narrow it down to one thing because he is the complete package as a teacher.
“Mr. Pughsley is an experienced teacher who works hard to help the students master the content,” Hadder said. “He is a phenomenal teacher and represents Berry very well.”
Pughsley is very skilled in terms of pedagogy, grounded in the content and good at incorporating literacy into the science curriculum, she said. He’s good at relating to middle school students, engaging with them and getting them to ask questions about the content, she said.
Chris Robbins, the chief academic officer for Hoover City Schools, was the principal at Berry when Pughsley was hired and said in a recommendation letter that he knew he had to hire Pughsley the second he began interviewing him.
“His love and concern for children, his ability to relate to adolescents and his thirst for professional growth shined through,” Robbins wrote. “With years of science teaching experience, an unbelievable expanse of expertise and certifications and a heart of gold, the outcome of the interview was a no-brainer.”
Robbins said that when he walked into Pughsley’s classroom, he always noticed that Pughsley’s students were engaged in collaborative discussions with other students in their groups, thinking critically about science standards and working to provide or discover evidence to support or disprove a scientific hypothesis.
Pughsley knows the science standards so well that he looks for and takes advantage of cross-curricular connections with other teachers in his interdisciplinary team, Robbins said. Yet he is continually seeking out opportunities to grow in his knowledge of the content and standards, Robbins said.
Also, Pughsley possesses many of the personal and social traits necessary to build positive relationships with all his stakeholders, Robbins said.
“Parents, students and co-workers enjoy his consistent and fair approach to working with students,” Robbins wrote. “Kevin has a wonderful sense of humor, which is foundational for working successfully with middle school students.”
Pughsley said he feels blessed and humbled that the teachers at his school chose him to be their Teacher of the Year and that the leaders of the school district see him as a teacher who is making a difference in students’ lives.
“Growing up, I was easily distracted,” he said. “I would get in trouble. Academically, I wasn’t the best either, and I share that with my students. I let them know my pathway that got to here.”
When he was in high school, he had two teachers who showed him that education could be fun, energetic, exciting and engaging for students and that teaching can be tailored to meet the individual needs of learners, he said.
Those teachers made an impact on his life and helped motivate him to choose education as a profession, he said.
Now, he wants to help his students realize that, regardless of any past struggles, they can be successful in school and achieve their dreams, he said.
The last two years of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic have been very tough for teachers, and he wants to help his fellow teachers realize that they can push through the tough times and find that passion that they originally had, he said.
