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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Kevin Sickle may have won Wilkes University&#8217;s Educator of the Year Award, but in accepting it Wednesday night at the school&#8217;s Henry Student Center he conceded no amount of enthusiasm for the job is enough to block occasional doubts.</p><p>&#8220;Some times 180 days seems a lot longer than 180 days,&#8221; he said of the length of a school year. &#8220;But it&#8217;s knowing you need to get up and help those students get to where they need to be&#8221; that pulls you through a slump.</p><p>&#8220;You need to touch their hearts, touch their souls and touch the strength within them,&#8221; he added.</p><p>The annual award is limited to Wilkes graduates with at least 10 years experience teaching and a litany of lofty-sounding but hard to measure qualities, from inspiring students to using the latest methods effectively in class.</p><p>But Sickle, a 2003 Wilkes grad with 12 years teaching in Wilkes-Barre Area School District, conceded he needs some reigning in himself. He praised his parents and his wife for fulfilling that role.</p><p>&#8220;In trying times, my parents give me all the support I need,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They may not give me all the support I want, but I&#8217;m grateful for that.</p><p>&#8220;My wife will give me the business when I need the business,&#8221; he added, &#8220;which is often.&#8221;</p><p>The fifth-grade math, science and social studies teacher at Heights-Murray Elementary School is also an officer in the district&#8217;s teacher union, and directs the school&#8217;s annual spelling bee and science fair. Outside of school, he serves as commissioner for the Backyard Wiffle Ball League.</p><p>Sickle remained self-effacing from opening to closing remarks, finishing his acceptance speech by admitting &#8220;This whole night is an awesome thing, this award is cool. I&#8217;m not sure I earned it.&#8221;</p><p>But, he added, learning he was going to get it made doing his job well that much more important. &#8220;I think it drove me to be an even better teacher.&#8221;</p><p>Wilkes also recognized two doctor of education program graduates with the Diane Place Doctoral Dissertation Award: Jillian Mullen, executive director of the Schuylkill Community Education Council in Mahanoy City, and Dawn Sutton, a math and special education teacher for high school students. Both got their doctorate from Wilkes in May.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre Area School District teacher Kevin Sickle received Wilkes University&#8217;s Education of the Year Award on Wednesday at the Henry Student Center. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_wilkesaward.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wilkes-Barre Area School District teacher Kevin Sickle received Wilkes University&#8217;s Education of the Year Award on Wednesday at the Henry Student Center. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes University “Educator of the Year”: Award made him a better teacher