Congratulations to Hal Adams, Utah's Teacher of the Year.

    Mr. Adams has taught our children over the past several years at Grand County High School in social studies and debate. This will be the fifth year we have watched him work with students as the debate coach. We have been consistently impressed with both the volume of kids he coaches (at least a quarter of the student body, far more than any other competitive activity in the school) and his ability to help students find their own voice and personal direction. Mr. Adams encourages every student to participate in debate and, regardless of ability, has never turned a single student down.

    Over our years as "debate parents" we have seen struggling students, students on the brink of dropping out of school, gain confidence through Mr. Adams' personal attention and encouragement. We have also seen very bright and motivated students who were bored with their classes find a way to express their passion through debate. Perhaps more importantly, we have seen these differing factions (the bored smart kids, the kids who have self-esteem issues, the kids with no direction at all) come together through debate and Hal's direction. There is no greater accomplishment for any high school teacher than getting such a diverse mix of students to come together in a mutually supportive way.

    Mr. Adams is a person who is uncomfortable in the spotlight. He devotes hundreds of hours of his own time to students each year and often pays his own way on debate trips in order to minimize school district and parental expenditures for students. That is the beauty of Mr. Adams, it's never about him; it's always about the students.

    We are grateful for Hal's dedication and appreciate that his accomplishments have been recognized.