Hermantown Geometry Teacher Mike Tipple Named WDIO Outstanding Teacher of Northland

WDIO has named Hermantown High School geometry teacher Mike Tipple its Outstanding Teacher of the Northland for February 2026, part of the station’s monthly recognition program sponsored by a local credit union. Tipple, who has been teaching more than a decade at Hermantown, is the subject of a profile that spotlights his classroom practices and community involvement.

Asked what keeps him going after more than a decade in the classroom, Tipple said, "It’s the students." WDIO’s profile follows that line by noting he "loves seeing kids succeed, especially the ones who never thought they could," and documents an open-door classroom culture at Hermantown High School where students regularly drop in for help.

Students interviewed for the profile illustrate that culture. Lyla Crace, who is not in Tipple’s class this semester and is taking Algebra II, told WDIO, "I probably come into his class every single day." Another student, Ellyann Erickson, offered a recent example of Tipple’s hands-on support: "He helped me write an email last week." Those visits and small acts of assistance form part of the profile’s portrait of a teacher whose room is described as "a place to ask questions, get help, and simply feel welcome."

Colleagues echoed the students’ impressions. German teacher Katie Engevik said of Tipple, "He has always made me feel so welcome as a colleague. He actively says hello… he’s just a very warm person and always looking out for people." The WDIO page also preserved a social media fragment praising Tipple: "students, Mr. Tipple shows up. Every day. For everyone. Hermantown's Mr. Tipple is the kind of teacher you never forget."

Tipple’s profile includes a classroom success story he recalled at conferences: "Not because they did bad, but because they did so good. They were used to D-minuses and Fs… and she ended up a B-plus, A-minus student who made it through pre-calculus." That anecdote is presented as an example of the kinds of gains Tipple celebrates in his students.

The profile also touches on Tipple’s volunteer work. WDIO’s copy notes, "He volunteers as ski and bike patrol at:" and then cuts off, while a separate item published alongside marathon award coverage lists Tipple as being honored with the Don Fennessy Volunteer of the Year Award and adds that Tipple "has long coordinated the wheelchair participants at both the start and finish lines." The profile and the award citation together portray sustained community involvement beyond the school day.

WDIO’s Outstanding Teacher of the Northland is a monthly feature; past profiles include "Meet Joe Scaffidi" and "Meet Sarah Hodgson." Educators can be submitted via WDIO’s Outstanding Teacher of the Northland nomination form. For accessibility help accessing the station’s FCC public file, WDIO lists Vicki Kaping at vkaping@wdio.com or (218) 727-6864.

Tipple’s recognition for February 2026 highlights Hermantown High School’s emphasis on hands-on student support and volunteers who extend that support into community events and races, a combination the station’s profile and local award citations present as central to his work.