Episode 162 The Northern Nerd (Teacher)

Dalton Hessel is a 2nd grade teacher, content creator, writer, podcaster, and "Up North" enthusiast based in the small town of Hayward, Wisconsin. Dalton grew up in Hayward before earning his teaching degree at UWEC. While he enjoyed his time in Eau Claire, he always knew he wanted to end up back in his hometown. Inspired by the popular sitcom Boy Meets World, Dalton wanted to become a real life Mr. Feeny.

He secured his first teaching job in the fall of 2019 and got to teach for about 5 months before the pandemic shut down everything. Dalton had to adapt, and with his computer skills became a leader among his teaching team as they adjusted to virtual learning.

Since then he has published 4 books, started his Northern Nerd brand, built an audience of over 100,000 followers across his social media platforms, got married, became a father, and more.

In this episode we discuss small town life, having boundaries, best places to camp, writing poetry, going viral, the responsibilities of teachers, organizing events, building community, juggling passions, and much more.