Lucas Houck, Teacher, Corbett Middle School – 2018 Winner of the OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education – OnPoint Community Credit Union K-8 Educator of the Year
In his own words: “The thing that drew me to education, and will keep me teaching for as long as I can, is the fact that every time I walk in the building I’m surrounded by 240 absolutely unique individuals—some of them funny, many of them challenging, all of them creative and clever and curious—that make me want to be the best version of myself, at least for 8 hours a day. I can’t imagine there’s any other job in the world quite like it.”
What others have to say: “Lucas has the disposition and knowledge to build strong relationships that get kids involved and wanting to learn. Whether it’s using basketball to learn vocab, or pop songs to learn about the Fertile Crescent, Lucas provides a safe yet fun learning environment for students to take risks. I learn a great deal about how to talk to kids just by listening to him.” — Peter Leone, Corbett Middle School colleague
“Mr. Houck is the glue that gives Corbett Middle School its identity. Every morning he makes our school a community.” — Dr. Randy Trani, Ed.D, Superintendent, Corbett School District
Lucas’s energy, creativity, and passion for his profession have impacted many of his students, parents and colleagues. His was commended for his keen ability to connect with students in a safe, relatable and humorous way. Lucas offers students numerous opportunities to showcase their curriculum comprehension, such as his use of a March Madness-style bracket on ancient China where students develop their own criteria and choose which topics get to move on to the next round. He is described as the school’s cheerleader and leads the daily all-school morning meeting.
This year, Lucas began advising the Corbett Middle School Travel Club. During summer vacation, he will take students to France and Italy to see the artwork and Medieval and Renaissance sites they studied.
