Excellent Educator: Sheridan Hills Elementary's Tom Neisen

HASTINGS, Minn. (WCCO) – This morning, the WCCO Morning Show is honoring another excellent educator in the metro who has gone above and beyond to make a difference in students' lives.

We got an awesome note sent to us about Tom Neisen at Sheridan Hills Elementary School in Richfield. For a quarter-century, he's taught children with emotional behavior disorders, and he does it with patience and a smile on his face.

"I've been doing this for 25 years, just plugging away, and this is really special," he said.

Neisen said the most important thing to him as an educator is to build relationships with his students, and to really get to know who they are.

When Moody and a WCCO camera crew surprised him at work, he admitted he's not the type of person that enjoys the spotlight. He prefers staying behind the scenes, working with children and working with their families.

Another letter written on Neisen's behalf said that he frequently buys snacks and supplies with his own money.

You can nominate a deserving educator by going to the WCCO Morning Show's Facebook page, telling us their name and why they should be WCCO's Excellent Educator of the week.