Teacher Awards

Read about awards for teachers, including the National Teacher of the Year award, and the teachers who win them
Grammy 001 BS
Teaching Profession Video This Teacher Won a Grammy and Saved a Life
A North Texas choir teacher explains how she became the 2023 Grammy Music Educator of the Year.
Lauren Santucci, October 19, 2023
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3:30
Karen Lauritzen stands for a portrait on the Millikin University Campus in Decatur, Ill., on August 30, 2023. Idaho’s Teacher of the Year moved to Illinois for a new job due to right-wing harassment over her support of the LGBTQ+ community and Black Lives Matter.
Karen Lauritzen stands for a portrait on the Millikin University Campus in Decatur, Ill., on August 30, 2023. Laurizen, Idaho’s 2023 Teacher of the Year, moved to Illinois for a new job due to harassment over her support of the LGBTQ+ community and Black Lives Matter.
Neeta R. Satam for Education Week
Teaching Profession In Their Own Words 'I Was Not Done': How Politics Drove This Teacher of the Year Out of the Classroom
Karen Lauritzen was accused of being a pro-LGBTQ+ activist. The consequences derailed her career.
Madeline Will, August 31, 2023
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6 min read
AMERICANED SUTTON 049
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Teaching Video VIDEOS: Tips for New Teachers From State Teachers of the Year
State teachers of the year offer tips for new teachers on a range of topics.
August 25, 2023
082423 Teacher Tips Mentorship BS
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Teaching Video Tips From Acclaimed Teachers: Building a Network of Supportive Peers
State teachers of the year offer advice on finding mentors and building a support system within the school building.
Jaclyn Borowski , August 24, 2023
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3:39
Lauryn Merriweather
Lauryn Merriweather
Teaching Profession Q&A An Award-Winning Rookie Teacher Talks About Her First Year
Stick to a routine and be consistent, advises Los Angeles teacher Lauryn Merriweather.
Elizabeth Heubeck, June 23, 2023
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7 min read
President Joe Biden congratulates Rebecka Peterson, 2023 National Teacher of the Year, during a ceremony honoring the Council of Chief State School Officers' 2023 Teachers of the Year in the Rose Garden of the White House, on April 24, 2023.
President Joe Biden congratulates Rebecka Peterson, 2023 National Teacher of the Year, during a ceremony honoring the Council of Chief State School Officers' 2023 Teachers of the Year in the Rose Garden of the White House, on April 24, 2023.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Teaching Profession Teaching Shouldn't Be a 'Life-Threatening Profession,' Biden Says
The president spoke to educators during a ceremony to honor the 2023 State Teachers of the Year.
Libby Stanford, April 24, 2023
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5 min read
Peterson has taught high school math classes ranging from intermediate algebra to Advanced Placement Calculus for 11 years at Union High School in Tulsa, Okla.
Peterson has taught high school math classes ranging from intermediate algebra to Advanced Placement Calculus for 11 years at Union High School in Tulsa, Okla.
Courtesy of Oklahoma State Department of Education
Teaching Profession Video How the National Teacher of the Year Brings Joy to Her Classroom
Rebecka Peterson, a high school math teacher in Tulsa, Okla., is the 2023 National Teacher of the Year.
Kaylee Domzalski & Madeline Will, April 20, 2023
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3:13
Rebecka Peterson, a high school math teacher in Tulsa, Okla., is the 2023 National Teacher of the Year.
Rebecka Peterson, a high school math teacher in Tulsa, Okla., is the 2023 National Teacher of the Year.
Courtesy of Oklahoma State Department of Education
Teaching Profession Rebecka Peterson Finds the Good in Every School Day. She's the National Teacher of the Year
Peterson teaches high school math in Tulsa, Okla.
Madeline Will, April 19, 2023
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5 min read
Image of an award.
May Lim/iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession The National Teacher of the Year Award: A 'Call to Service' or a 'Popularity Contest'?
Educators and past finalists weigh in on the National Teacher of the Year award.
Madeline Will & Marina Whiteleather, February 6, 2023
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5 min read
National Teachers of the Year
Clockwise from top left: Carolyn Kielma from Connecticut, Jermar Rountree from D.C., Rebecka Peterson from Oklahoma, Harlee Harvey from Alaska, Kimberly Radostits from Illinois
Teaching Profession Meet the 5 Teachers Being Considered for National Teacher of the Year
From P.E. to culturally responsive teaching, the finalists all find ways to connect to their students.
Madeline Will, January 25, 2023
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7 min read
Teachers from across the country find their student’s hand-drawn ornaments while touring holiday decorations, Sunday, December 11, 2022, at the White House.
Cherie Bonder Goldman, the Georgia Teacher of the Year, takes a picture with Kabby Hong, the Wisconsin Teacher of the Year, and Jessica Wheeler Saum, the Arkansas Teacher of the Year. Teachers from across the country toured the White House holiday decorations on Dec. 11.
Official White House Photo by Erin Scott
Teaching Profession White House Decorations Include Teacher and Student Art. Why Educators Say That's Meaningful
Students portrayed their families, their hobbies, and their dreams for the future in the ornaments they created for the White House.
Madeline Will, December 12, 2022
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5 min read
Montgomery County teacher and Kentucky Teacher of the Year, Willie Carver, in downtown Mt. Sterling, Ky., on May 11, 2022.
Montgomery County teacher and Kentucky Teacher of the Year, Willie Carver, in downtown Mt. Sterling, Ky., on May 11, 2022.
Arden Barnes for Education Week
Equity & Diversity Citing Anti-Gay Discrimination, a Teacher of the Year Leaves the Classroom
Kentucky's 2022 Teacher of the Year Willie Carver Jr. said he had been unable to find support from his school administration.
Valarie Honeycutt Spears, Lexington Herald-Leader, June 28, 2022
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3 min read
First lady Jill Biden hugs 2022 National Teacher of the Year Kurt Russell as President Joe Biden applauds during the 2022 National and State Teachers of the Year event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April 27, 2022.
First lady Jill Biden hugs 2022 National Teacher of the Year Kurt Russell as President Joe Biden applauds during the 2022 National and State Teachers of the Year event in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday.
Susan Walsh/AP
Teaching Profession Nation's Top Teachers Bask in White House Spotlight
The national and state teachers of the year were honored by the president and first lady in a White House ceremony.
Madeline Will, April 27, 2022
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4 min read
Teaching Profession Video 2022 National Teacher of the Year: ‘So Honored to Be a Part of This Profession’
Kurt Russell, a history teacher from Oberlin, Ohio, shares his outlook on the profession and a message for his fellow educators.
Lilia Geho, April 22, 2022
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4:21
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