In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2018 Wyoming Teacher of the Year Sara Reed shares why she believes that sometimes, the teachers who make the biggest difference are the ones who go against education norms.

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2018 New Mexico Teacher of the Year Ivonne Orozco tells us about heritage language learners, and what students in her Spanish class taught her about the link between identity, culture, and language.

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2018 Maine Teacher of the Year Kaitlin Young talks about the experience of inviting Senator Susan Collins to her school—and how her students took the opportunity to ask the tough questions they cared about most.

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2018 Idaho Teacher of the Year Becky Mitchell tells us why she thinks asking kids what they want to be when they grow up is the wrong question.

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2018 Montana Teacher of the Year Melissa Romano shares the story of Owen, a student who showed her what’s possible when teachers collaborate.

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2018 Nevada Teacher of the Year Pilar Biller tells us about Jenna, a quiet student who reached out with an appreciation, and ended up teaching her a lesson about giving ourselves permission to be learners.

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2018 Missouri Teacher of the Year Beth Davey shares how she used music to support her students in the aftermath of the 2014 shooting of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson.

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2018 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Cara Pekarcik tells us why she believes that when her students act out, they’re really telling her about their struggles. Here’s Cara.

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2018 American Samoa Teacher of the Year Rosalee Tela-Shoulders tells us the story of Mark, a student struggling to be accepted—and how the former troublemaker taught her a lesson about empathy. 

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2018 Utah Teacher of the Year Aaryn Birchell shares why she believes that before teachers can take care of our kids, they need to take care of each other.