At Laramie Middle School, learning becomes electric whenever Garrid Halsey is involved. Halsey’s classroom is bustling with activity as students write code, debug, or practice suturing on fake skin. Of his four classes - flight and space, computer science, automation robotics, and medical detectives - students engage with his rigorous, project-based lessons while identifying connections between learning and life. For example, students in his medical detectives class investigate a “patient” and draw evidence from classroom experiments to predict what is wrong and why. Ensuring students are well-prepared for STEM industries, Halsey hosts presentations by community professionals and insiders from his alma-mater, the University of Wyoming.
Halsey plans curriculum and analyzes data as a leader in his professional learning community (PLC), mentors new STEM teachers, and helps develop interventions and track student progress as a lead on LMS’ multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) team. In this role, Halsey has also led professional development for staff and helped create an academic risk assessment screener that utilizes school data to identify students for additional support. He is part of the 307 Principals Leadership Academy and has participated in MTSS trainings; lesson creation and access; and research opportunities through program partnerships with the University of Wyoming, Wyoming Department of Education, Wyoming Schools and Libraries Integration Computer Science in Education (WySLICE), and the National Science Foundation.
Halsey embraces opportunities to volunteer, whether it’s chaperoning school dances or student leadership community events, lending his classroom to clubs such as Dungeons & Dragons, or supporting student government. He connects with families through a monthly newsletter and is well-known in the community as a coach for swimming and Nordic skiing.
A 2020 University of Wyoming graduate, Halsey earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology and secondary education, with minors in art and earth science.
Press Release: Laramie Teacher Honored with $25,000 Milken Educator Award for Excellence in Teaching
