Physics Teacher Brings Passion for Learning to Hillsborough High School: Nylund Selected as Florida Teacher of the Year Finalist

In Orlando on July 25, the state winner for Florida Teacher of the Year will be announced and Clayton Nylund, a science teacher at Blake High School in Hillsborough County, is one of the top contenders. Nylund has been named one of the five finalists for this prestigious award. The announcement was made during a surprise visit to his class by representatives from the Florida Department of Education and Hillsborough County School District leaders.

Nylund has been teaching physics and engineering, as well as a Principles of Technology course that allows students to research, design, build, test, and compete with their projects for the past decade at Blake High School. His curriculum has been so successful that it has been expanded to six other high schools in the district with close to 1,000 students participating. Superintendent Van Ayres praised Nylund for making these courses popular and described him as someone who not only teaches but also absorbs knowledge and culture and brings that back to the school community.

Nylund’s curriculum includes projects such as pinewood derby cars, catapults, rockets, bridges, and mousetrap cars while teaching students about circuits, coding, programming, and robotics. He expects his students to bring nothing to his class other than themselves and a focused mind. Nylund was named Hillsborough Teacher of the Year in February for his outstanding work in education. He is now being considered for the state-wide award which is a huge accomplishment for any teacher.