Hiatt Spanish Teacher Connor Nitz Earns State Honors
Connor Nitz, a Spanish teacher at Hiatt Middle School, was presented with the 2024 Michael Oates Teacher of Promise Award by the Iowa World Language Association. The honor recognizes teachers who have shown potential to become exceptional world language teachers. The following is the press release issued by ILWA.
The Iowa World Language Association (IWLA) is pleased to announce that Connor Nitz, a Spanish teacher at Hiatt Middle School in Des Moines, is the recipient of the 2024 Michael Oates Teacher of Promise Award. This award is conferred annually to pre-service or early career teachers who have shown exceptional potential to become outstanding world language educators. The award presentation was held during the 2024 IWLA Conference luncheon at the Des Moines Area Community College campus in Ankeny, Iowa, on Saturday October 5, 2024.
Mr. Nitz is described as “compassionate, perceptive, and attentive.” Connor is passionate about diversity and representation and is a strong advocate for heritage learners. Additionally, Connor has already taken an active role in his school’s professional learning communities (PLCs), showing his commitment for growing as an educator.
This Teacher of Promise said it best when he said, “I want to be part of high expectations for all students, regardless of their zip code.” His nominator wrote, “He is a leader in the making,” and the IWLA completely agrees.
In addition to the commemorative plaque, IWLA offers the Teacher of Promise awardee a $100 grant for classroom materials and a complimentary registration for the following year’s conference.
About IWLA
The Iowa World Language Association (IWLA) represents the more than 1200 world language educators in the state from all levels of instruction and representing all languages. IWLA connects world language teachers to develop the skills and resources to sustain programs that enable all Iowa students to be active in a global community. More information can be found at www.iwla.net.
