East Valley teacher wins Gaydos and Chad’s teacher tribute for April

PHOENIX — An East Valley elementary school teacher was named KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Gaydos and Chad Show’s  Pay Tribute to a Teacher winner for April, presented by your Valley Toyota Dealers.

Scott Hockings teaches second grade at Las Sendas Elementary in northeast Mesa.

He’s been teaching for 20 years and has a personality that brings students back to the classroom years after they’ve graduated, prompting one letter writer to nominate Hockings for the $2,500 prize.

Hockings, a teacher known for his passion of music, said he loves teaching students how to read so that they can read to continue learning.

“The coolest thing about these little kids is that the community we build together — they can handle a little sarcasm, I can still kind of do fun things like I do Kermit [the Frog] karaoke on our morning announcements,” Hockings said.

Other notable things that make Hockings a rockstar role model for children is that he goes above and beyond to provide children insight to various types of professions, the letter writer said.

Hockings said he’ll use portions of the reward to purchase a new bass for the classroom, to fund part of his son’s college education and to stash some away into his savings.

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