Halser-Troutman named Indiana teacher of the year
WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — Jen Hasler-Troutman, dedicated to inspiring a passion for Spanish and Hispanic cultures, is the recipient of a prestigious honor, Indiana Teacher of the Year.
Her innovative teaching and genuine care for students have made her a guiding light in the Westfield community.
“I do consider myself fortunate to have received this now to get a chance to talk with people like you about the importance of language learning and culture learning and having more of a global awareness and interacting with people that may not have the same experience as you,” said the Spanish teacher at Westfield High School.
The Indiana Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese selected Hasler-Troutman for the honor. The association says her ability to create a dynamic and engaging classroom environment has earned her the admiration of both her colleagues and the administration.
Mayah Lopez, a Westfield senior, said, “I’d say a large way that she’s helped me to appreciate Spanish and Spanish culture is teach us about the actual culture. Many times in my past Spanish classes, we would just learn the language, but not much about the different cultures, and she does very well in making sure that we understand what life is like in different countries,” says a senior student, .