<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603901709009.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619043351402.jpeg" alt="Kyle Hadley, history teacher at Hays Middle School, is being honored as the April Hays Post Teacher of the Month." />
 <figcaption>Kyle Hadley, history teacher at Hays Middle School, is being honored as the April Hays Post Teacher of the Month.</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostHays Middle School teacher Kyle Hadley has had to navigate his students through a barrage of extraordinary current events, including an election cycle that ended with a attack on the U.S. Capitol, a pandemic and riots.Hadley teaches American history to eighth graders at Hays Middle School.He was nominated by Matt Erbert for the Hays Post Teacher of the Month Award."As a history teacher, it has been paramount that he relay to students the unprecedented times that they are living in, and how they compare to past events and can impact the future," Erbert said in his nomination."He has confidently and constructively guided all of the impressionable young minds in his class," he said. "The impact will be far-reaching, and most importantly will give students a fair and honest base to look back upon these events that transpired when they were coming of age."Kyle's influence among his students in all aspects of the 2020-21 school year should have a lasting impact upon these youngsters, who have pushed through one of the most challenging school years in history."Hadley's classes watch a daily 10-minute news segment designed for the classroom, and then he urges his students to discuss the events in the report. The reports are designed to have the least amount of bias as possible.&nbsp;"I try to make them aware of the political biases that can happen in media," he said. "At the beginning of the year, I say, 'If you guys ever feel that one of these reports in our daily news segment is biased in any fashion to please tell me about it, so then we can discuss it.'"I think it is very important for them to understand what is going on around them," he said.He starts the class by asking his students what they think is going on in the world."It's awesome to see a bunch of 13- and 14-year-olds describe to you what they think is going on in the world through their lens," Hadley said.Hadley serves as a moderator and he said he tries to not let the discussions get too political. He described the conversations as a session of driver's ed — you always have to have your foot on the brake."They're very curious of what is happening at a national level, what's happening at a state level, what's happening at a local level," he said. "We've had a lot of local mandates we've been able to discuss."Hadley, 30, is in his fifth year teaching and his third year at Hays Middle School. He is an Ellis High School and Fort Hays State University graduate.In addition to being a teacher, he also is an assistant Hays High School football coach and rotates between coaching seventh and eighth-grade basketball.Hadley said he was inspired by his coaches as a youth. When he began to officiate youth sports while he was in college, he made the decision he wanted to continue a career working with youth.He said he tries to instill in his students and players some of the same principles his coaches taught him."Just having grit. ... Not everything in life is going to be a straight and narrow path with no obstacles. Everything is going to have obstacles. It is just how you maneuver around obstacles. It's how you get back on the path you're wanting."You can make excuses or pull yourself up and keep moving in the right direction. That was something that was instilled in me at an early age through sports."Hadley said his favorite period in history to teach is the Progressive Movement in the early part of the last century. He is a big fan of President Theodore Roosevelt.&nbsp;Hadley tries to engage his history students in hands-on activities. The students just finished research projects on American inventions and how they changed America. As a KU fan, he was particularly fond of a student's poster on the creation of basketball.&nbsp;Students also interview their parents on historical and current events."One of the questions is what do you think the biggest problems that is facing our country today," he said. "It just gets them thinking in that mindset right away of what's our problems and what can we do to fix them."Hadley said a couple of his favorite aspects of teaching middle school students is that they are moldable and positive — you can tell they have their best days ahead of them still and they live their life like that day to day."That's another thing I feel about middle school kids," he said. "They just worry about what they're doing that week and to make the most of it. That's fun to be around.&nbsp;"You can have a kid who will have a bad day one day and be super fun to be around the next day."As a teacher, he often feels he can't have a bad day, at least not when he is working with kids.&nbsp;One of Hadley's grandmothers died this fall. He was receiving updates on his about his grandmother's condition while trying to teach his students about the American Revolution.&nbsp;"It was tough just trying to keep my composure while I was having a tough day personally," he said."That is one of the things I try to pride myself on to the kids," he said. "I'm in here. We're having fun. This is a good environment. This is a positive environment."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603901709009.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Teacher of the Month: Hadley teaching middle school students history as it happens