“He connects with all of his students quickly,” said Lynn Allred, Mark Van Wagoner’s nominator. Mark, a Horticulture and Science Teacher at Slate Canyon, received the Provo Way Award last May through Lynn and Lynette Van Wagoner’s nominations.
The Provo City School District and Board of Education grant monthly Provo Way awards to celebrate the positive things students, teachers, administrators, parents, and staff do for the community.
This week, we congratulate Mark for receiving the Provo Way Award. Great science teachers like Mark know that each student is unique, and their learning process is organic. We all grow differently, and building students up takes a steady hand and a kindly soul. Mark is patient, humorous, kind, and caring, as demonstrated in his nominator’s words and even in the greenhouse he keeps at Slate Canyon. To further quote from his nomination letter:
“He’s always humorous, and it breaks a lot of barriers. He loves what he does– he has such a passion for the plants, the greenhouse, and the horticulture. And, as you can see by how beautiful all of this is,” Lynn said, gesturing to the greenhouse, “it always turns out spectacular.”