New industrial technology teacher excited to work with students and technology

Mill Valley News: What is your background?

Industrial Technology Teacher Brian Hagstrom: [I taught for three years] at Lexington Trails, teaching engineering, so I was doing the middle school Engineering Technology sections. My degree is secondary education math. So my first year was at DHS teaching math so that’s my high school experience, and then my engineering experience has been the middle school level.

MVN: Do you have any goals for the school?

BH: I want to keep the traditions that I know of going and build on that. I’m also there to kind of get that going, but have that Mill Valley touch and have that influence to even be in [the CTEC building], but kind of joining the traditions that are here and helping continue those.

MVN: What do you do in your free time?

BH: Connect with people. I’ll do some gaming with friends that I had in college and connect with them that way. I’m still trying to design and do the graphics side of things, so the engineering side of it. [It’s a] bit of a hobby in that regard, designing and creating, trying to find new things and build.

MVN: What college did you attend?

BH: I went to K-State, I’m a Wildcat. I graduated in 2017.

MVN: What was your favorite subject in school? Why?

BH: I really enjoyed engineering. Math was the big one, and that’s why I became a math teacher, which is funny because the first D I ever got in school was in a math class and then I turned out to be a math teacher. So that was pretty exciting and then engineering always kind of grabbed [my] interest because it does the math and the science and then the building so it was a lot of fun. 

MVN: What are your first impressions of the school?

BH: C-wing is kind of a maze, but I enjoy it. Everyone’s been super nice, students and staff. I feel very welcomed. My classes and everyone’s doing what they need to and I’m being pleasantly surprised with the performance of everything. It meets that reputation of success, beyond sports and all of that it still has that academic strength, which is awesome to see. 

MVN: What school events are you looking forward to attending?

BH: I want to go to some football games. I haven’t been to any Mill Valley ones besides when they played DHS in the playoffs two years ago. And then I’m working with Mr. McLeod and some of the robotics classes so I’d like to see some of those competitions and anything else that’s around. 

MVN: Why did you choose to work at the school? 

BH: So the position for Project Lead the Way was open, and I’ve been in the DeSoto School District, USD 232, for all of my teaching career, [this is my] fifth year now, and I don’t want to leave the district. From what I hear and what I’ve experienced so far it’s been a great choice.

MVN: What’s your favorite thing about the school so far?

BH: I guess being welcomed so far. It’s been great and then there are personalities. I can joke with people and have those conversations already and it’s early, but it still feels like a good place to be.

MVN: Is there anything that you would like anyone to know about you, through teaching or just personal?

BH: I’m energetic. I know that I have the mask but [I’m] usually smiling, I want to be welcoming to everyone. I want to have a conversation with everyone and get to know people. I want to have fun in my class while we’re learning. I want everyone to be accountable for their learning, so ask questions and if I don’t know it, I want to get to the right answer and help [students] learn.