Teaching
"Students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
"All of Mikaela Saelua’s high school students are learning English as a second language. Their mother tongue is Samoan – poetic, full of expressive vowel sounds and unique – leaving most words without a direct English translation. To break up the monotony of reading and writing, she launched a song translation project. In what culminates in music videos, students learn figurative idioms, metaphors and words to capture the soul of Samoan songs."
Each year, every U.S. state, territory, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity selects an outstanding educator as their State Teacher of the Year. From this group of 56 honorees, a National Selection Committee chooses four finalists. In January, the committee announced the 2025 finalists.
Given the significant challenges public educators face today, it is heartening to see the common threads among this year’s finalists. Each addresses pressing societal issues in their classrooms, including gun violence, substance abuse, suicide, poverty, and environmental concerns. Each prioritizes cultural integration—incorporating students' experiences, backgrounds, and curiosities into their lessons. And each fosters community engagement, partnering with local organizations to expand students' opportunities and connect classroom learning to real-world challenges.
At a time when public education faces both fiscal and political threats, all four finalists are finding fresh, creative ways to center students’ lived experiences in their teaching.
Teaching
"Students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
ARTICLE: Fostering Culture & Belonging: Reflections from Teacher of the Year Finalists
Teaching
Diversity encompasses a lot more than just race. That’s why DEI programs are intended to benefit a broad range of people.
ARTICLE: DEI Programs Are Designed to Help White People Too – Here’s How
Teaching
Teachers at Figueroa Elementary attribute rising test scores to school’s welcoming environment.
ARTICLE: How a South Central Los Angeles Elementary School Built a Culture of ‘Family’
Teaching
Democracy and the humanities are interdependent.
ARTICLE: Judith Butler: To Imagine a World After This, Democracy Needs the Humanities
