Acting Lottery Commissioner, Joe Froehlich, presents Christopher Hansen with his Excellence in Education check.
An Eaton County educator who is known for encouraging growth in his students inside and outside of the classroom has been honored with an Excellence In Education award from the Michigan Lottery.
The award winner, Christopher Hansen, is a seventh and eighth grade English teacher at Potterville Middle School. The school is part of Potterville Public Schools.
The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence In Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public-school educators across the state during the school year.
Winners of the weekly award receive a $2,000 cash prize. At the end of the school year, one of the weekly award winners will be selected to receive the Lottery’s Educator of the Year award and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.
Each winner also is featured in a news segment on the Lottery’s media partner stations: WXYZ-TV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, FOX 47 in Lansing, WLUC in Marquette, WNEM-TV in Saginaw, and WWTV-TV in Traverse City. The news segment featuring Hansen will air this evening.
Hansen said wanting to make a positive impact in the lives of others attracted him to a career in education.
“Our families, middle school/high school staff, and elementary school staff work together for quality outcomes. From the parking lots to the sidewalks to the hallways to the classrooms to the cafeteria to the playgrounds to the offices and the athletic fields, this is a team effort. I’m happy to be part of the team. I became a teacher to have a positive impact while spending time in a worthy cause. Seeing ‘light bulb’ moments where a student now knows they have earned a skill is enjoyable. Graduates and high school students who return to visit and say they’re doing well inspire me to keep teaching. I strive to be an inclusive ‘big picture’ educator who helps students see the skills and work ethic they start to develop when they’re 12 can benefit them every year of their lives. We often have fun while we’re learning, which helps keep things positive. A big, shared goal is for students to have reading and writing versatility along with courage and persistence to pursue something they are interested in.”
Hansen was nominated for the award by a colleague.
“Mr. Hansen has been a middle school English teacher at Potterville since 2016. Mr. Hansen is a huge proponent of high school dual enrollment for Potterville High School students at the Eaton RESA Career Preparation Center where they can earn college credit for free in 17 different trades programs from Lansing Community College, the University of Olivet and Davenport University. He works closely with the Eaton RESA Career Development Coordinator in his classroom, encouraging students to think about their future and helping to engage student understanding of various careers through the use of Xello in his classroom, helping to set students up for successful opportunities in high school with the CPC, Work Based Learning Opportunities and College scholarships. With his help and encouragement along with many other adults, Potterville’s enrollment at the CPC has increased from 10 students to over 40 students in the past few years. Mr. Hansen supports and encourages student growth through athletics, serving as the Middle School Cross Country coach. Student participation has increased from single digits in 2024 to 22 runners in 2025. His 2025 team improved by over 4200 seconds from the first race to their best race. Seven runners ran two miles in under 15 minutes by the end of the season.”
Hansen earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a master’s degree from Central Michigan University. He has been an educator for 24 years, the last 10 in his current position.
Excellence in Education award nominees are evaluated on the following criteria:
- Excellence – Their work consistently helps students and/or their schools or school districts advance to higher levels of academic achievement.
- Dedication – They consistently go above and beyond expectations to help students succeed.
- Inspiration – Their work inspires others around them to exceed expectations either academically or professionally.
- Leadership – They demonstrate clear leadership skills in their positions with their school or school districts.
- Effectiveness – The nominee’s work has clear and positive results on the educational advancement of students within the school or school district.
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