Voices from the Classroom: The State Teachers of the Year Podcast

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>> Hey, everyone. Sarah Brown Wessling here from the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program and I'm excited to introduce Voices from the Classroom, the State Teacher of the Year podcast. CCSSO's National Teacher of the Year Program provides a platform for exceptional educators to elevate issues that affect teachers and their students expand their leadership roles and inform policy and practice. I was named National Teacher of the Year in 2010 and since then, I've been committed to sharing the stories and elevating the voices of the State Teachers of the Year. It is my hope that this podcast will give you insight into the incredible work they do. The 2021-2022 School Year has commenced and many educators have used their experiences over the last two years to reflect on how they can better serve students to ensure their overall success. In these new episodes, the 2021 State Teachers of theYear will share how they use the shift in learning environments as an opportunity to refine their approach to teaching, so they can better support students and their varying needs. You can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #ntoy21 or by visiting us online at ntoy.org. That's N-T-O-Y.org.

>> This is Jasmine Estes, CCSSO's senior communication specialist and today we are speaking with Paul Timm. Paul, would you mind introducing yourself?

>> Absolutely. My name is Paul Timm. I am the Nebraska 2021 Teacher of the Year and I'm a middle school, high school science instructor at Lyons-Decatur Northeast Nebraska and in Lyons, Nebraska, a small D2 school in rural Nebraska about 60 miles northwest of Omaha.

>> Nice. Thank you. Thank you for all you do.

>> Thank you.

>> Thanks for joining us this -- of course. Thanks for joining us today. So, to get started, I'm going to ask you to share a practice, a strategy, or a concept that you decided to keep for the 2021-2022 School Year. And then a follow-up question will be if you can share one practice, strategy, concept, or ideology that you let go of for the 2021- 2022 school year. So --

>> Absolutely.

>> -- I'll let you take it away.

>> I think for the practice that I'm going to keep, and this is going to be my second year trying this, so I tried this last year in the rockiness of our first full COVID year after having gone home from March to May when we were sent home, right, as COVID was initiating, correct? But last year was the first year I instituted a cross spectrum with my junior high students, every student doing a science inquiry project on a topic that they were interested in, something that brought awe and wonder or inspired them or invoked a series of questions that they were really curious about. And in a COVID year, I had no clue how that was going to go. It was huge, I would say, risk because within the realm of your core subject especially science, you have a certain pace that you have to keep with kids as you're addressing specific standards according to Nebraska state science standards and next generation science standards if you look at the national scope. But by and large, I was just blown away by how interested and invested and curious kids were that it gave them something to cling to as far as they owned their research project and they were so excited about -- I mean, there were growing pains that time obviously but it just -- I was delighted at the response I got. And so for this year, we're keeping that in place. Every kid within my science program for junior high are going to be completing a research project of their own.

>> That is awesome. I'm happy that you saw that it worked last year and you were inspired to do it again this year. And that the kids really used their creativity and imagination. That's awesome. Did anything stick out in particular that you want to talk about?

>> Well, actually, what kind of seeded the idea was initially being sent home in the spring when COVID just came on the scene. I teach a research class and it's only been for sophomore through senior students that are really focused in that area looking to take some college credit. But what they discovered is that when we got sent home, that student that was doing research for me all of a sudden and having the flexible schedule that she had in addition of trying to complete all of her higher level math classes and everything else, all of a sudden, she could devote big chunks of time towards her research. And she was doing microplastics research. She ended up winning national honors for the work that she did for the month between March and April when everything was up in the air. We didn't even know she's going to be able to get to submit her research. She just worked like crazy and we daily Zoom-ed connecting with each other. She could ask questions. We could pursue lines of inquiry. And she just blossomed in making positive progress towards her end goal and measuring that hypothesis to see if it was correct or not. And so, I thought, well, if it worked for Sam [assumed spelling] in the upcoming year not knowing, at the time, we didn't know if we were going to be sent home from school again. With COVID, I thought -- I think every kid needs this sort of experience. And we stayed in school the whole year despite what was happening with COVID and even I ended up coming down with COVID in November, having to teach from home as my kids were still in the classroom and they did great. I was just delighted at what that did for them developing the science inquiry process and how they performed those skills. So, I was thrilled.

>> That is fascinating. Wow! And then, it was birthed from --

>> I think it's this evidence of how important doing is in the learning process in addition to that background research and reading and everything else. There has to be an element of doing because it produces ownership in the person of the person that's -- in the person of the student that's doing it.

>> Yeah.

>> They own their project. It's their project. They're the expert on it. They get to teach the other kids in the classroom about plastics or raccoons or oak trees or whatever, you know. It just, it's really neat. It's really neat.

>> Yeah. They probably feel so empowered.

>> Absolutely. That's a great word for it. They were empowered.

>> That's awesome. Thanks for sharing that.

>> Absolutely.

>> How about something that you decided to maybe let go or adjust? Did you have that experience coming into this school year?

>> As far as the let go, I'm going to go with maybe adjusted rather than let go. I've always been a person that -- I realized the importance that relationship plays in student ownership and buy-in to anything that you do, right? As a teacher, you're always casting that fishing pole, trying to hook conversation pieces, trying to show that student value, so that when it comes time for you to say, "Hey, I need you to do this," "Hey, I want you to do this," and they're feeling a little bit unsure about that, they realize that they're more than just a warm body in a seat but, you know, you really are interested in them. With this past year and all the challenges that we experienced with COVID and I would say that students have a myriad of challenges that they face as they're growing up, COVID just being one of them, right? As we think back to our years and growing up through adolescence, the whole idea of approaching students with even greater curiosity and patience. I saw a greater need for that and a need to shift in my own mindset, being extremely prepared to before I start the lesson, making sure that I'm taking kind of almost inventory of my students' social-emotional needs without them realizing I was doing it. Because these kids were bringing so much to school that it's so often -- you know, if we look at the definition of what prom is according to -- forgive me, the name of the agency is escaping me right now. Any experience that leaves a person feeling hopeless, helpless, fearing for their lives, their sense of survival or their safety can be a real trauma in a person's life. And that's whether it's perceived or whether it's real, whether that threat is perceived or whether that threat is real. These kids are bringing so much to school with them that is not who they are but has influenced how they're having to live their daily lives. And when they come to school with those real concerns, those real fears and I think as they have been faced with things such as COVID, it has put some real concerns in their minds to the point where the periodic table might not be their priority that they're focused when they walk on into my classroom. And so as a teacher, for me, having that curiosity, that approach that, "OK, how is Johnny [assumed spelling], how is Susie [assumed spelling] doing today? What have I done to show value and interest in them through curiosity? And are they ready to engage the material?"

>> Yeah.

>> I think, you know, it's so easy for us to get into teacher mode. This is what we got to get accomplished today. And for me, I just had to put up my antenna and be extra sensitive in trying to detect where is everyone in the room today, how are we going to do at making progress towards our goals, not just educationally in content area but social-emotional awareness and being able to handle the weight that some of these kids are bringing to school. So, that for me, as far as an adjustment was concerned, I had to be very cognizant and aware of that need because it just -- there's a sense this year that there's an even higher need than ever among the student population.

>> Well, thank you. I'm sure your students and their families and your colleagues all appreciate you taking that temperature check because that's always helpful to your point when trying to assess like how to even move forward in the lesson. So, we appreciate that. Thank you for sharing that.

>> Absolutely.

>> So, those are great. Is there anything else that you wanted to add? And we'll check back in with you to see how those projects are going, but feel free to add anything else if you want [inaudible].

>> Well, I just think the joy of education and the joy of learning comes in the awe and the wonder. And so, if you aren't seeing the awe and the wonder, you need to dig a little deeper and that's true with the content, whatever it is that you're studying and that's true with relationships. And so, I think the more that you can practice that curiosity and trying to understand, "OK, what is making this person tick?" or "Wow! Look at that insect on the ground. Let's get a closer look at that. What's that thing look like? Why is this thing this way?" I think the more that we can practice those inquiry practices and look for the surprise that you may not be expecting but realizing that it's there if you just dig deep enough, I think that can bridge a lot of broken bridges or just a lot of stalemates when it comes to learning as well as relationships with people.

>> That's awesome. Thank you so much and thank you, Paul, for everything you do and are doing for our students. We appreciate you and, yeah, thank you for joining today.

>> It was my pleasure. Thank you.

>> Thank you for listening to the latest series of Voices from the Classroom, The State Teacher of the Year podcast. This podcast is brought to you by the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program. It's our honor to elevate the voices of educators across the country and provide them with a national platform to amplify their message and advocate on behalf of their students and colleagues. Please, share these lessons on social media with the hashtag #ntoy21. That's #N-T-O-Y-2-1. Let's keep the conversation going.

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>> Hey, everyone. Sarah Brown Wessling here from the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program and I'm excited to introduce Voices from the Classroom, the State Teacher of the Year podcast. CCSSO's National Teacher of the Year Program provides a platform for exceptional educators to elevate issues that affect teachers and their students, expand their leadership roles, and inform policy and practice. I was named National Teacher of the Year in 2010 and since then, I've been committed to sharing the stories and elevating the voices of the State Teachers of the Year. It is my hope that this podcast will give you insight into the incredible work they do. The 2021-2022 School Year has commenced and many educators have used their experiences over the last two years to reflect on how they can better serve students to ensure their overall success. In these new episodes, the 2021 State Teachers of the Year will share how they use the shift in learning environments as an opportunity to refine their approach to teaching so they can better support students and their varying needs. You can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag,#ntoy21, or by visiting us online at ntoy.org. That's N-T-O-Y.org.

>> Hi, my name is Jasmine Estes. I am the Senior Communications Specialist at CCSSO and I am thrilled to have Jennifer Wolfe with us. Jennifer, would you please introduce yourself?

>> I am Jennifer Wolfe and I'm the 2021 New York State Teacher of the Year. I teach in Oceanside, New York, high school social studies and this is my 25th year of teaching.

>> Wow, 25 years. That is incredible. You probably --

>> I can'tbelieve it either.

>> You probably have so much knowledge to share with everyone. That is really admirable. Thank you for sticking with the profession.

>> Thank you. Well, I mean, I can't imagine doing anything else. This is where my heart is.

>> Love to hear that. We love to hear that. So, Jennifer, the title of our podcast series for this season is, Let Go to Grow. And we want to hear more about either a practice, strategy, or concept that you will keep, that you decided to keep for the 2021-2022 School Year or a practice, strategy, or concept you decided to let go of. So, if you want to elaborate on either or both those.

>> Yeah. Well, I could probably do both because I've been thinking about that a lot. I noticed that last year, even though it was my 24th year of teaching, I felt like a brand new teacher. I had to redo, you know, everything I did because you couldn't just turn on the camera, you know, and teach. There was a -- it's a very different thing to teach in a virtual world as opposed to right in person. And I had to do a hybrid system where I had kids online in front of me on the computer and then I had kids in front of me live, right? So, what I noticed was I could no longer do things like grade them all the time, for example, or assign as much homework as I did, or demand that they turned in things on time. I found that in the absence of being with me every day and constantly being reassured by kind of being in our space, that kids kind of lost their way in a way. You know, they weren't as motivated. They found it difficult to focus being at home. So, I had to adjust what I did in the room and how I assess their learning to meet, you know, those conditions. I think the best teachers meet the kids where they are anyway. So last year, we were in a weird, you know, context and I had to meet them where they were. So, I would say that I gave up actually this year assigning as many assignments as I used to assign because I found even last year kids still learned and they still grew. I didn't need to check them two or three times a week with a quiz, you know, or some kind of an assessment. I found that if I gave them daily feedback, immediate feedback while we were working in class on a class assignment or a project or a new skill, that worked just as well to keep them growing as them working at home, you know, studying for a quiz and then taking a quiz at the end of the week. In fact, they really liked it better and I am still doing that now. So, for example, I teach my freshmen pre-AP kids how to take notes from a textbook. And I know it's not exciting but they need to have that skill because they're reading, you know, college level text. Anyway, so what we've been doing this year is I've been making them do that first note taking experience in the Cornell Method right in front of me. And I've been [inaudible] broke down the process so that way, I could give them feedback on how to write a summary of what they read. I gave them feedback on what kind of data they put in their notes. I gave them feedback -- each lesson was broken down enough so they got, you know, immediate feedback. And that seemed to erase the hours of grading I would have done prior to the pandemic when I ran through the, you know, instruction and then assigned it to them and said, "OK, so let's just turn it in and see how it goes." And then I'd spent hours reading all these notes for weeks, giving them the feedback that I gave them, you know, one on one, verbally, and in the moment. And they got -- and so far, I haven't had to spend as much time, you know, grading the work because they already learned how to do it, because I spent all that time with them, you know, and giving them feedback.

>> Right. Oh, that's awesome.

>> Yeah.

>> So you kept the feedback part but you just adjusted how you should --

>> Yes.

>> Wow, [inaudible].

>> I wasn't writing it, you know. I was speaking it to them, because I'll tell you what, kids don't read what you put on the paper. I mean, I could spend hours grading and putting all the comments on the paper but they don't read it. All they look for is the grade, right, for example. And if you have a conversation with them, you kill two birds with one stone, two essential birds really with one stone. You get to know them and you get to tell them what they need to do to focus on to get better, right.

>> Yeah. And if there's anything they didn't understand about the feedback, they can actually write them in there. It's like an exchange. That's inspiring to hear. Thank you for that.

>> Oh, you're welcome. Yeah, sure.

>> Thank you. So I think you answered both of the questions in your response, but is there anything else you'd like to share, anything else that stood out to you?

>> I think the other piece that really -- I mean, I've always been the kind of teacher who liked to get to know my children, you know, my students. I found them the -- you know, they are the best part of the job really, right? But I was more intentional last year because I saw them less. And so, I knew I had to spend more time getting to know them more quickly. And also, in order to get them to share things with me about their year that they wouldn't share if they didn't know me that well, right, because we just didn't see each other that often. And I think I have always struggled with trying to find time to balance SEL type activities with my content. And I realized that it doesn't take more time to do SEL. It just takes more attention. So, I need to be more attentive to who's in my room. I don't need to spend hours doing an SEL activity, you know, necessarily. I need to pay attention to who my kids are and what they're doing right then and be able to give them feedback right then, so they know I see them. That's really the biggest battle, you know.

>> Well, that's beautiful. You take so much time and you put in a lot of effort to make sure that all their support, instructional SEL is tailored to their needs. I think that is truly inspiring and --

>> There are lots of people I think doing the same kind of thing. I just think it's -- you know, we get so bogged down, especially in New York state because we have all of these state exams and I think we get bogged down in that content. And I'm not saying that content is not important. For short, kids need to know how to do things and they need to know things. But I think that the pandemic taught me that the focus of the job more now than ever has to be the kids and teaching them how to manage their emotions, how to work with other people, how to collaborate, how to be resilient, you know, how to be flexible. Like, these are key successful skills that makes somebody successful. And so, is it important that they know about ancient Japan? No, not really. But is it important to create lessons about ancient Japan that help them work with their colleagues and learn how to problem solve, and get them to focus on speaking and listening? Yeah. So, I think you can do both. You know what I mean? And I don't think it has to be one or the other.

>> Well, thank you for finding ways to do both. I'm sure your students appreciate it. I'm sure your colleagues appreciate it. I'm sure your students' families appreciate it.

>> Thanks, Jas.

>> So, thanks for all you do and thank you for putting so much thought into how you could apply what you've learned over the last two years to this school year. We really appreciate you and thank you for joining us today.

>> I really appreciate you having me. Thank you so much. It was really -- it's an honor to be with you.

>> Perfect. Thank you.

>> Thank you.

>> It's an honor to be with you too and we look forward to hearing more from you.

>> Well, anytime, you can call me anytime.

>> Perfect. Thank you, Jennifer.

>> Thanks, Jasmine.

>> Thank you for listening to the latest series of Voices from the Classroom, The State Teacher of the Year podcast. This podcast is brought to you by the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program. It's our honor to elevate the voices of educators across the country and provide them with a national platform to amplify their message and advocate on behalf of their students and colleagues. Please, share these lessons on social media with the hashtag #ntoy21. That's hashtag N-T-O-Y 21. Let's keep the conversation going.

[ Music ]

>> Hey, everyone. Sarah Brown Wessling here from the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program and I'm excited to introduce Voices from the Classroom, the State Teacher of the Year Podcast. CCSSO's National Teacher of the Year Program provides a platform for exceptional educators to elevate issues that affect teachers and their students, expand their leadership roles and inform policy and practice. I was named National Teacher of the Year in 2010 and since then, I've been committed to sharing the stories and elevating the voices of the State Teachers of the Year. It is my hope that this podcast will give you insight into the incredible work they do. The 2021-2022 School Year has commenced and many educators have used their experiences over the last two years to reflect on how they can better serve students to ensure their overall success. In these new episodes, the 2021 State Teachers of the Year will share how they used the shift in learning environments as an opportunity to refine their approach to teaching so they can better support students and their varying needs. You can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag, #ntoy21 or by visiting us online at ntoy.or. That's N-T-O-Y.org.

>> So this is Carolyn Phenicie, Press Secretary at CCSSO. Welcome, Maureen, and thank you for joining us today. To start, could you please introduce yourself?

>> Absolutely. Thanks so much for having me here today. I am Maureen Stove and I am the 2020 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year and a 2021 National Teacher of the Year finalist.

>> So, we know that so much about education has had to change in the past couple of years with COVID. But what is one practice, strategy, concept, or ideology you are keeping for the '21-'22 year?

>> One of the things I'm really going to keep is the intentional practice of doing social-emotional learning with my students. So, as teachers, we always knew that social-emotional learning was really one of the key things that we did to help our students in developing not only academically, but also as people. And when we went into the pandemic, we realized how incredibly important it is to establish routines that help us develop that social-emotional learning. And so, one of the things that I was able to do in the remote learning environment was to really embrace different strategies for reaching out and connecting with my students in unique ways, and to really get to know them. And so now, as I've transitioned into a virtual teaching position with the North Carolina Virtual Public School, I have really embraced that. And I've looked for ways to continue engaging with my students and developing those relationships in an authentic way while in a virtual environment.

>> So, what does that look like in the virtual environment?

>> So, what that really looks like is a couple of things. First of all, I've embedded practices where students will have an opportunity to, at the beginning of class, engage in some way. So sometimes it will be like a, "Give me a thumbs up if you're having a good day." It could also be something where I'll ask them a question or ask them to respond to a Google Forum or in some other format to let me know something that's going on that they're really excited about, something outside of school where they are having a great opportunity, or maybe they're on a sports team and they did really well in a meet or at a game. And they're able to connect that way, not only with me but also with their classmates. But it also means being available to my students so that when they need support or they need help with something, I am there to be with them. We know that relationships are really the key to developing that social-emotional learning and so, one of the things that I've been very intentional about is finding ways to connect with my students outside of just the curricular area. And so, I'm looking for opportunities to get to know them as a person. So I'm asking them questions about what are some of your hobbies? What are the things that you like to do outside of school? Are you on a sports team? Do you do scouts? Are you involved in your youth group or in some kind of community service group? And so, by asking those questions and getting to know my students and then being there for them and showing up to those things. So being the teacher that comes to a soccer game, or being the teacher who's at the finish line when they finish at the cross country meet, or being a teacher who was at their Science Olympiad competition. That helps our students know that we are their advocates and that we're there for them not only for the time they're assigned to us for the academic period, but we're really there to be their support for them in everything they're doing in their life and to be an adult who they can trust and turn to when they need help with something.

>> That's great. I think people usually think of social-emotional learning as more of like a pre-K, kindergarten, early elementary type of thing, but you teach pretty high level high school science. Why is it important to kind of keep that going as kids age?

>> So, I think it's important for us to look at social-emotional learning for everyone. So whether we're talking about our pre K-12 kids or whether we're talking about our kids that are somewhere in college or moving into industry or in the military or even for us, as teachers and other adults in our community, we all should be focusing on social-emotional learning. But I think for our high school-aged students in particular, it's very, very important to have social-emotional learning that is authentically embedded into the curriculum because those students, a lot of times, are dealing with a lot of challenges and a lot of trauma. And there's a lot changing for them. So they're transitioning from being a child into growing into an adult. And that adolescence period can be very turbulent for them and it can be very difficult to navigate. And so, by having social-emotional learning that's authentically embedded into our curriculum, it enables us to help our students navigate those challenges. And it helps us give them the tools so that as they leave our pre K-12 classrooms, they are empowered to live their best life because they're not only academically prepared but they're also emotionally prepared. And that's a really important piece of being successful. There's quite a few studies that have indicated that you are actually -- a better predictor of your success in life is your emotional intelligence versus your IQ. And I think that's something that we really need to focus on in high school because we have the opportunity to help prepare our students to have that emotional intelligence as they leave our classrooms, so that when they deal with a situation or they encounter a conversation or they're in a room or a space where they are uncomfortable or they are unsure themselves or they're meeting some type of conflict, they've already established the tools that they need to successfully navigate that challenge and to come out of it on the other side in a really good place.

>> So even as you're, you know, keeping in all this social-emotional learning, is there something that you're getting rid of, just it isn't working?

>> One of the things I'm definitely getting rid of is the expectation that everything will always happen on time and that everything will always happen in like a very linear fashion. So, you know, previously, we would have due dates, we would have lesson plans that were designed for students to finish things by a specific day or specific time. And what I've realized is that learning is really much more of a fluid environment. So, we're constantly learning different students need different amount of time. And so, what I'm really going to -- one of the things I'm really going to throw away is the expectation that every kid will be in the exact same place at the exact same time, and to really help my students figure out how to move forward. And one of the ways I'm doing that is through a lot of data assessment, through a lot of formative assessment, to see where my students have mastery of their skills. And also to see where my students maybe have some gaps so that I'm able to design instruction both for my students that I'm trying to push forward and give them new learning opportunities, but also to design that instruction for my students who maybe need a little bit of remediation or one-on-one intervention in order to help them be ready and be successful as they exit my class and move on to the next class they're going into. And so I think the idea that instead of looking at it's something I'm getting rid of, I think I'd rather look at it's something that I'm really embracing. And that's truly personalizing instruction and making instruction that is designed for each one of my students and each one of their unique learning needs. And really meeting their diversity in a way that embraces them and really looks at what their strengths and their weaknesses and helps them be as successful as they can possibly be in the coursework in my class.

>> Great. To wrap up, is there some particular great moments that you've had so far this year that you'd like to share?

>> So, I did actually have a really great moment. So, because North Carolina is one of the states that actually gives a sabbatical to their Teacher of the Year, and I found out after the school year had ended that I was named the Teacher of the Year, I didn't actually have a chance to say goodbye to my kids. And that was really tough emotionally for me because I wanted to go back in and, you know, celebrate with them. Because the reason why I was able to be a Teacher of the Year is because I teach really amazing kids and so, I wanted to go in and be there with them and say goodbye to them. And unfortunately, with the pandemic, that just did not work out. And so, I was actually at Target a couple of weeks ago and one of the students who was a senior that I did not have a chance to say goodbye to, she was a phenomenal student and really loved doing coding. But she kind of felt like maybe coding would be too difficult for her when she got into college. And so she originally went in as a business major. And when I ran into her at Target the other day, I was talking to her, asking her how she's doing. And she said, "I have to thank you too." She's like, "Because I got to do coding in your class and I really believed in myself," she's like, "At first when I got to school, I was a business major but this semester, I switched to computer science and I'm going to be a computer science major." And that for me is like that's the moment, right, when you get to be a tiny piece of a kid's success story that's incredible. And to be able to see her and run into her and hear that news was really just amazing. And so that's been one of those moments where I'm like, "OK, everything that we did during the pandemic to continue making those connections and stay with our kids and continue giving them opportunities to learn and explore and designing learning around what works best for kids, all of that is worth it 100%. Because then you have kids who you're able to give them the keys to their success and to help them experience things in high school that then lead them into what they want to be as an adult." And so that was a really rewarding experience for me.

>> That's wonderful. I think that is a great note to leave it on. Thank you so much for joining us.

>> Thank you.

>> Thank you for listening to the latest series of Voices from the Classroom, the State Teacher of the Year Podcast. This podcast is brought to you by the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program. It's our honor to elevate the voices of educators across the country and provide them with a national platform to amplify their message and advocate on behalf of their students and colleagues. Please, share these lessons on social media with the hashtag, #ntoy21. That's #N-T-O-Y-2-1. Let's keep the conversation going.

[ Music ]

>> Hey, everyone. Sarah Brown Wessling here from the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program and I'm excited to introduce Voices from the Classroom: The State Teacher of the Year podcast. CCSSO's National Teacher of the Year Program provides a platform for exceptional educators to elevate issues that affect teachers and their students, expand their leadership roles, and inform policy and practice. I was named National Teacher of the Year in 2010 and since then, I've been committed to sharing the stories and elevating the voices of the state teachers of the year. It is my hope that this podcast will give you insight into the incredible work they do. The 2021-2022 School Year has commenced and many educators have used their experiences over the last two years to reflect on how they can better serve students to ensure their overall success. In these new episodes, the 2021 state teachers of the year will share how they use the shift in learning environments as an opportunity to refine their approach to teaching, so they can better support students and their varying needs. You can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #NTOY21 or by visiting us online at ntoy.org. That's N-T-O-Y.org.

>> So, this is Carolyn Phenicie, press secretary at CCSSO. Welcome, John, and thank you for joining us for this conversation today. Could you start by introducing yourself?

>> Yeah. So, my name is John Arthur. I'm the 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year. I was also fortunate enough to be a National Teacher of the Year finalist and I teach sixth grade at a Title I elementary in Salt Lake City.

>> Thanks. So, we know that so much about education has changed in the past two years but what is one practice, strategy, concept or ideology that you do plan on keeping for this school year?

>> One of the most thrilling pieces for me as a classroom teacher throughout the remote learning experience was, I figured out how to bring people into my classroom who didn't need to physically be there. In addition to my students, I had the opportunity to invite in more guest speakers and mentors for my students than ever before. I had a collection of 35 lawyers from the Salt Lake City area and throughout Utah who are part of a group called the Utah Coalition for Legal Inclusion. And their entire goal as a group is to see greater diversity in the legal workforce, so lawyers and everybody who's connected to our judicial system. So, these people Zoom-ed into my classroom every Friday for 30 minutes a piece and they mentored my students on argumentative writing because that's what they are masters of. And my students, once a week, got to sit down with these, again, masters of their craft who would provide feedback on my students' writing, give them tips in terms of the structure of their arguments, how they were presenting it orally, and really gave them a master course in everything you need to know to support a claim with sound evidence and solid reasoning. I never would have thought of that prior to the pandemic because I only would have thought to bring those people in physically into our space and there's no way they could have done it weekly for any length of time because their schedules are too demanding. In addition to those mentors, we brought in graphic designers. We brought in people who work in the film industry. We brought in judges. My kids went on more virtual tours than I ever could have lined up at museums and other spaces. It was remarkable. And so, going forward, the idea of a classroom without boundaries is something I'm going to cling to and make sure that I maximize because now we're all familiar with how to use these tools and there are so many people out there hungry to help our children. And people who just get such a thrill out of watching young people get excited about what they spend their lives doing. And there's no shortage of adults who want to help, and now, we have the tools to give both our children and these professionals out in the field the opportunity to learn and grow along with each other.

>> That's great. So, some budding lawyers [inaudible] class?

>> I'll tell you, I had no students at the start of the year who said that they wanted to be a lawyer when I asked them what profession they might want to go into down the road. And by the end of the year, it was about a quarter of my students, you know. Not all of them. But through these adults, in addition to being lawyers are just amazing human beings with networks of their own, they would talk to my students about what they wanted to be. And I had a student, for example, who said he wanted to work for the Department of Fish and Wildlife Services. And this lawyer was like, "Oh, you know what? I actually worked with some folks who are in that department." And my student got to Zoom one-on-one with this man. I think he was essentially a park ranger, I don't know. I let them go into a breakout room and have this amazing conversation. My student got this coin in the mail, like an official Department of Natural Resources type junior badge kind of a deal and I got one as well. And so, even if my students didn't want to be lawyers, these lawyers still hook them up with the people that could give them first-hand experience of what it's like to do what they do for a living. And these are 11 and 12 year olds who are used to just sitting in a classroom and maybe every once in a while someone will come visit. Now, they have their own networks that they're building through these connections and this is just the beginning.

>> That's amazing that they --

>> Yeah.

>> They get to feel like they're celebrities almost, like "Oh, who's coming to visit us today?"

>> Yeah.

>> "Who's on our calendar today?"

>> Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And they could feel the excitement that these adults were bringing with them into the Zoom room, like they could tell that these people really not only wanted to be there but were excited to work with my students. And some of my students, they don't get that feeling often from many adults because, you know, they have history or, you know, behavior issues, whatever the case may be. So, for some of these kids, it was a new experience. I mean, obviously, I love them and I'm always excited to work with them but to have these new adults coming in and just so stoke to see these 11 and 12 year olds on the screen and just -- they're obviously committed. The kids understood that they weren't getting anything out of it but the experience of spending time with them. And so, for kids who are socially isolated at home, to have these other folks so excited to see them and knowing that they would show up on Friday no matter what, they were reliable, they could count on that conversation. And even if there was a week where the conversation veered off in directions away from their class work, they knew that it was going to be something fun and meaningful, and unlike any other educational experience they've ever had.

>> That's wonderful.

>> Yeah.

>> That's great that you've taken this thing that a lot of people didn't love about it, right, the virtual aspect of it.

>> Yeah.

>> And turned it into a positive for them.

>> Yeah. When you're doing it all day, it's not so much fun but -- and if it's just the same face. If you're having to look at John Arthur's face in a rectangle all day long, you're like, "Get me out of here." But this year, I've got those lawyers coming back and now, I've connected with college in Wisconsin with a bunch of science students who are going to mentor my students on extreme weather because that's in our science core. I just realized that this is applicable to everything we do, so why not just start reaching out to people who are doing dope work all throughout the country and start connecting them?

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> Great.

>> Makes perfect sense.

>> Yeah. Even as you're adding in these virtual experiences for your students, what's something that you're letting go of for this year that you've just decided not worth it, not working?

>> Yeah. It's funny because it's connected again to that digital space. But I went into my classroom at the start of this year and my board still had this calendar and this daily schedule area that I had painstakingly put up on my board. The electrical tape, it was artistic. It had these, you know, kind of abstract line designs. I loved it. Now, I spend so much time writing in the different things that are happening in our calendar for the month and on our daily schedule every day, writing it up there. And over the pandemic, I had to do it digitally in this program, One Note, that we use in my district. And when it came time to start writing those things on the board again, I just couldn't do it because I knew how much time it would take. It was like not that long but 5 to 10 minutes every single day and I just -- I set the marker down and just a couple of days ago, I finally just told my students, "I have absolutely no need for this old school calendar and scheduling system. Everything we do is on the computer. It's fast, you guys know how to contribute to it. It's in this common content library. So, this thing that's on the board right now, I need you to tear it down. I need you to just pull it down literally, this old structure of education [inaudible] or as it used to be, and I need it gone." And my students just went at it with gusto and ripped this tape off, shouting and laughing. I said, "This landscape is yours. This space I used to use, I know I can come up with a use for it, but I want to give it you. Whatever you want to do, put it up here. As long as it's school appropriate and positive, go for it." And so now, I have these beautiful butterflies and positive statements. Because my students all have nicknames in my class and so, there's nicknames like -- my students here are very young for sixth graders, they're like -- they've chosen nicknames like Mickey Mouse and Pikachu and Peppa Pig. So, I'm trying to think of one that doesn't break copyright. OK, I got Dog Man. Dog Man was here written on the board and [inaudible], you know, just proclamations that are joyful whereas before I just had cold facts about the day, you know. And like I said, I haven't done away with daily schedules. They're just digital now. They exist on the computer where the students can see them any time they want to and kids who spent so much time without tools in their hands are now going up to this public mural and turning it into this amazing piece. And it's just representative of the changes I'm making throughout my practice and, you know, just cutting out the things that, you know, are dated and old. It's almost like I've hoarded old practices and it's time to just discard them, and in the void let kids fill it with their brilliance and fun. And everything is tighter now than it used to be. Everything is faster and I don't think I'm capable to taking for granted little things in the classroom anymore. Like I can't take for granted just being able to get up out of my chair and walk over to a kid's paper and say, "We're right here on number three." That fills me with so much joy every time I do it. I can't -- it's like I can't help but get emotional about things I never noticed in the past and it tickles me every day how lucky I am to do what I do and how much better it feels than it's ever felt before. This is the hardest year, even harder than last year because we're going from a place where we thought we were getting over it, to now we're moving back into dark and troublesome days. And it just feels like it should be done. But at the same time, I've never enjoyed being around kids more than I do this year and I've never enjoyed my job more. So, I'm discarding old frameworks for how we do what we do and embracing a new lens and perspective that I never wanted to say I'm grateful for anything out of the pandemic but I'm incredibly grateful for.

>> I think that is a great place to leave it. So, thank you so much.

>> No, thank you and got a little teary just thinking about it. But yeah, thanks for taking the time.

>> Thank you for listening to the latest series of Voices from the Classroom: The State Teacher of the Year podcast. This podcast is brought to you by the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program. It's our honor to elevate the voices of educators across the country and provide them with a national platform to amplify their message and advocate on behalf of their students and colleagues. Please, share these lessons on social media with the hashtag #NTOY21. That's #N-T-O-Y-2-1. Let's keep the conversation going.

[ Music ]

>> Hey, everyone. Sarah Brown Wessling here from the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program and I'm excited to introduce Voices from the Classroom, the State Teacher of the Year Podcast. CCSSO's National Teacher of the Year Program provides a platform for exceptional educators to elevate issues that affect teachers and their students, expand their leadership roles and inform policy and practice. I was named National Teacher of the Year in 2010 and since then, I've been committed to sharing the stories and elevating the voices of the State Teachers of the Year. It is my hope that this podcast will give you insight into the incredible work they do. The 2021-2022 School Year has commenced and many educators have used their experiences over the last two years to reflect on how they can better serve students to ensure their overall success. In these new episodes, the 2021 State Teachers of the Year will share how they used the shift in learning environments as an opportunity to refine their approach to teaching so they can better support students and their varying needs. You can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #ntoy21 or by visiting us online at ntoy.org, that's N-T-O-Y.org.

>> So this is Carolyn Phenicie, Press Secretary at CCSSO. Welcome LaChanda and thank you for joining us for this conversation today. Could you start by introducing yourself?

>> Yes. Hi, my name is LaChanda Garriso and I am the 2021 DoDEA State Teacher of the Year. And I am an elementary school teacher in Bahrain off the coast of Saudi Arabia.

>> So we know over the past two years so much about education has had to change with the pandemic, but what is one practice, strategy, concept, or ideology that you do plan on keeping for the school year?

>> So, one concept that I plan on keeping, most definitely for this school year, is having a trauma-informed mindset along with using resilience practices that I started incorporating a lot last year when we were going back and forth and teaching remote -- between teaching remotely and in-person. And I found that both of those, the mindset and using those practices really helped my students to just regulate their emotions so that they could learn no matter what setting we were in.

>> And students who are in the defense department school system, I would imagine, have additional sort of needs than kids who are not maybe moving as much or [inaudible] around the word don't have.

>> Yeah, they have very unique needs. I think all types of demographics have certain needs that are specific to the space and the environment. And most definitely, the needs of our students are unique and different and thus require just some special attention and care, especially with moving a lot, having to make friends on a regular basis, going to new schools. Maybe there's a shift in family dynamics. So, you never know what they are carrying with them when they come into a new space.

>> So even as you are, you know, keeping a trauma-informed mindset and these resilience principles in mind for this year, is there something that you are getting rid of that just, you know, you've decided not working anymore?

>> So, one of the phrases that I like to say is if it's not working for students, it's not working. So, just having that mindset of being able to make changes but I have to be honest, that was a very intimidating and scary mindset to embrace because when I went back into the classroom, I thought, "OK, I got this." My classroom management is on point. I can teach anyone. I can teach anything. And yes, although I can do those things, I have to still be able and be willing to grow and learn to support my students who were in front of me every day. And I have to be honest again, that I didn't embrace that mindset out of fear because of the unknown, like what am I going to use instead of these practices that I know? And I would rather use a practice that I knew that may not have been very efficient or just good for my students versus trying something new that would make all of my students feel seen, heard and valued. So, just learning how to embrace change and learning and having that learner's mindset because if it's now working, it's just not working for them. It's not good for them, so letting go of making excuses.

>> Is there some like specific practice that you were doing before that you just, this isn't working for kids. It's time to go?

>> Yeah. One of them, just my behavior plan that I had and that I was using, and I remember I have a mentor teacher. I have a couple of mentors. But one of mentors came into my classroom and she said, "Hey, LaChanda, did you see so-and-so's face whenever you had called him out basically?" And I had to like admit like, "Yeah, I did see his face." And that's just how she left it. And it just made me realize what I was doing wasn't working. And it was actually harmful. And I promise you that weekend, I went and read Whole Brain Teaching. I really liked that concept. So, I read like the whole book that weekend, came back on Sunday. We go to school Sunday through Thursday. And I came back to class on Sunday and apologized to all of my students, and just said, "I'm sorry. I've been doing things that haven't been working for all of us and it hasn't made many of us feel good. So we're trying something new and we're going to see how it goes." And that changed my life because I'm like, "Oh, if it's doing that to even one child, if what I'm saying or doing or communicating to one child like that can cause that much damage, I have to change. I have to find something that is going to make my students want to be in class and enjoy being in school and feel valued." And, you know, there are time and place for things but I didn't like what I was doing. But I also had a great mentor who was able to say, "What do you think about this," which is very powerful. If I didn't have that, I'd probably be doing some of those awful practices. I hope I wouldn't be but you don't -- I mean, you have to have people who are around you who you trust who can say, "Hey, LaChanda, do you think that that's the best thing?" And for me to reflect and take what they have to say in love and care and say, "Maybe, I need to make some changes." And now, I just make changes all the time.

>> Yeah. So she's sort of a teacher to you too in a way.

>> Yes, thank God. She did. It changed my life. It changed the trajectory of my career.

>> Yeah. Oh, that's wonderful. Any other sort of fun back-to-school moments that you'd like to share as we wrap up?

>> I love -- I've been in and out of my school. You know, we've had our Teacher of the Year, year, and seeing some of the old students who I had a few years ago and then them just remembering, "Oh, I remember you," and, "Oh," like coming up and wanting to hug you. You haven't seen them in so long because we've been in and out of school and then I've been on sabbatical. Just knowing that they remember, they remember how it was when we were in the classroom together. And to me, that's always very special especially coming back into this year of COVID still around. So, just knowing that some of these students are like, "OK, I remember you and you made me feel special," is pretty fantastic.

>> I think that is a great place to leave it. So thank you so much.

>> Thank you for having me.

>> Thank you for listening to the latest series of Voices from the Classroom, the State Teacher of the Year Podcast. This podcast is brought to you by the Council of Chief State School Officers' National Teacher of the Year Program. It's our honor to elevate the voices of educators across the country and provide them with a national platform to amplify their message and advocate on behalf of their students and colleagues. Please, share these lessons on social media with the hashtag, #ntoy21. That's hashtag N-T-O-Y-2-1. Let's keep the conversation going.

[ Music ]

>> Hey, everyone. Sarah Brown Wessling here from the Council of Chief State School Officers National Teacher of the Year Program and I'm excited to introduce Voices from the Classroom: The State Teacher of the Year Podcast. CCSSO's National Teacher of the Year program provides a platform for exceptional educators to elevate issues that affect teachers and their students, expand their leadership roles, and inform policy and practice. I was named National Teacher of the Year in 2010 and since then, I've been committed to sharing the stories and elevating the voices of the State Teachers of the Year. It is my hope that this podcast will give you insight into the incredible work they do. The 2021-2022 school year has commenced and many educators have used their experiences over the last two years to reflect on how they can better serve students to ensure their overall success. In these new episodes, the 2021 State Teachers of the Year will share how they used the shift in learning environments as an opportunity to refine their approach to teaching so they can better support students and their varying needs. You can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #NTOY21 or by visiting us online at ntoy.org. That's N-T-O-Y dot org.

>> So, this is Caroline Phenicie, press secretary at CCSSO. Welcome, Jena and thank you for joining us today. To start, could you please introduce yourself.

>> Hi, my name is Jena Nelson and I am the Oklahoma State Teacher of the Year.

>> So, we know that so much about education has changed in the past two years, but what is one practice, strategy, concept, or ideology you are going to keep for this school year?

>> For this school year and for the rest of my career, I am always going to look at my classroom through a trauma-informed lens. I think that, you know, we have seen, not only within my state of Oklahoma which has one of the highest ACE scores in the entire country, but across the country, that our kids have been in trauma due to this pandemic. And so we need to take our practices and really adjust them so that we look at every kid because they have all experienced loss and isolation. And I think that is very, very important going forward that we address those issues but we also make sure that we also include all those practices that are going to help our children feel successful.

>> So, what are those practices that you're implementing to help them feel successful?

>> So, the first thing is that we need to get rid of homework. And I say that because when they are within our four walls they are protected and they're going to be educated wherever they're at because that's what good teachers do. Once they leave, they're not going to have that support. And there are so many things that are going on in our children's lives that can interrupt and affect that and that if we take a grade -- if we're really focusing on that as being any kind of way to give them a grade, it's not fair. Because then we're truly grading them on access. And so that's something that I think that is very important. Keep it within your classroom, really and truly. Keep your mind open. Instead of asking -- you know, if a kid is misbehaving, don't sit there and go, you know, what is wrong with you? Ask them, how can I help you today? How can I help you be successful today? The language that we use in our classroom can either elevate and escalate a situation or it can completely solidify relationship that those children desperately need. And I know because I was one of those kids and because a teacher did that for me and he saved my life. I'm here today. So those are the practices and things. Those are just, you know, the tip, the tip of iceberg. The things that we can do to truly make a difference in children's lives.

>> Besides the pandemic, are there particular circumstances that your students are going through that, you know, maybe affect them uniquely versus others around the country?

>> And I'm not sure if it's uniquely, but in Oklahoma we do have to think about food and security. That's really a big issue in our state and there are many programs that are trying to address that now. I'm so glad that we have, you know, the federal assistance program this year to make sure that all of our children in Oklahoma have access to a hot lunch and some breakfast because that doesn't happen all of the time. And a lot of times we pack bags on Friday for our children to take home to make sure that they've got food to eat over the weekend. We know that during the pandemic that was a big issue in our state. We were so concerned, not only about the education, but we knew that that's what kids were eating. And so as a teacher and, you know, it's something I think about a lot. Because we know kids don't learn if their bellies are empty. They're too distracted. And so that is a big thing for my state is to think about, do our children have access to food?

>> So, circling back, you said you're getting rid of homework. Is there something else that you are just letting go of for this year?

>> For this year, I think that for me personally, policing those little things, and maybe this is not a very popular opinion, but policing those little things about hoodies. I'm a middle school teacher and obviously that's what kids in middle school love to wear. But, you know, it's a trauma thing as well. They're using it for comfort. They're not using it to be nefarious or anything like that. But really focusing on building relationships and letting go of those little policing things. That's not going to do anything but get in the way. It could possible escalate a situation if you don't know why that kid needs to wear that hoodie or, you know, has a certain bracelet or something like that. You really need to make those connections and understand culturally where they're coming from, what's going on at home, and just really focus on building the relationships.

>> OK. Wonderful. Is there a particular moment that stand out to you so far this year as a great moment for the 2021-22 year?

>> For me, because I was on sabbatical all last year, walking in and seeing their faces again after being on the road for a year and traveling and getting to meet all these wonderful people, but coming back, it was a homecoming for me. You know, even though they didn't know me and I didn't know them, but just seeing the kids and the colleagues and the joy the kids had of getting back into the school building. Because, you know, we were off and on quite a bit last year and we were on -- then we switched to an A/B schedule because of how many kids we have in our school. So just seeing the joy that they had of being back in the building, that was wonderful. That's it. That's great.

>> Wonderful. All right. Well, thank you so much for joining us, Jena. This is wonderful.

>> Oh my goodness. Thank you so much for the opportunity.

[ Music ]

>> Thank you for listening to the latest series of Voices from the Classroom: The State Teacher of the Year Podcast. This podcast is brought to you by the Council of Chief State School Officers National Teacher of the Year program. It's our honor to elevate the voices of educators across the country and provide them with a national platform to amplify their message and advocate on behalf of their students and colleagues. Please, share these lessons on social media with the hashtag #NTOY21. That's hashtag N-T-O-Y-2-1. Let's keep the conversation going.

[ Music ]

>> Hey, everyone. Sarah Brown Wessling here from the Council of Chief State School Officers National Teacher of the Year Program and I'm excited to introduce Voices from the Classroom: The State Teacher of the Year Podcast. CCSSO's National Teacher of the Year Program provides a platform for exceptional educators to elevate issues that affect teachers and their students, expand their leadership roles, and inform policy and practice. I was named National Teacher of the Year in 2010 and since then, I've been committed to sharing the stories and elevating the voices of the State Teachers of the Year. It is my hope that this podcast will give you insight into the incredible work they do. The 2021-2022 school year has commenced and many educators have used their experiences over the last two years to reflect on how they can better serve students to ensure their overall success. In these new episodes, the 2021 State Teachers of the Year will share how they used the shift in learning environments as an opportunity to refine their approach to teaching so they can better support students and their varying needs. You can join the conversation on social media by using the hasthtag #NTOY21 or by visiting us online at ntoy.org. That's N-T-O-Y dot org.

>> This is Carolyn Phenicie, press secretary at CCSSO. Welcome, Sabrina and thank you so much for joining us through this conversation today. To start, could you please introduce yourself.

>> Hello, my name is Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka and I'm the Territorial Teacher of the Year from American Samoa.

>> So, we know that so much about education has had a change in the past couple of years with the pandemic, but is there one practice, strategy, concept, or ideology that you're definitely keeping going into this year?

>> An ideology that I want focus on is building identity and illuminating that personal background and ethnicities are what make us unique. A lot of the times, our students don't really value themselves or their backgrounds and it's so disheartening to see. And so I want my students to know how special they are, how their upbringings, how their culture, how their traditions are so meaningful and how they can use that to propel themselves forward in college and career spaces. So, with that in mind, I want to bring that [inaudible] forward so they not only acknowledge their roots but use it as affirmation that they are uniquely special in their own way.

>> Are there specific projects or other ways that you're helping them do that?

>> Absolutely. So we actually work on Common App together and one of the problems is talking about identity and their background and we are doing that -- actually we started that this week, to write essays. And so their trying to brainstorm how their backgrounds, even if it's just seeing [inaudible] not so much as a princess of the village but almost the maiden of the village. And so some things like that we bring forward so they can explore how they are special and then that their culture is something to definitely value and praise.

>> And do you find that's a new experience for your students, bringing this to the forefront and highlighting it as an asset?

>> Most of the time, yes, because at the same time while we do appreciate our culture, we see it sometimes as something that is just something to have but we don't see it as a strength and that's what I want to share. That, you know, when you go to college and when you go to your career spaces, you bring that with you because it's something, you know, that we can use as our skills. But also in terms of communicating, in terms of showcasing our professionalism, that can be embedded into how we actually interact on a daily basis.

>> So even as you're, you know, encouraging them to lift up their identities and all of this, is there something that you are getting rid of for this school year that you're just like, this isn't working?

>> Absolutely. So one thing for this school year I'm going to let go of is the idea of learning loss. Before, I used to be very particular with sticking to a schedule and the goals for the curriculum and I was just trying to tell my students all year, you're falling behind, you need to do this, you need to be at this lesson at this specific time. But I've come to understand that of course, you know, our students learn at different learning phases especially now with everything that's going on, sometimes we had to do hybrid learning or blended learning. And, you know, for example, these students are tuning in through Zoom and they're learning how to be digital citizens. They're learning how to participate in virtual meetings. And for myself, like I didn't learn how to do that until I was in graduate school. And so these students, they're elementary, they're high school students and they're doing it so easily. And so those are things that I just want to recognize that there is no learning loss. It's just a different type of learning and I'm definitely going to let go of that mindset.

>> Right. Not looking at it as sort of a glass half empty thing but a, you know, well, we had to make these changes and some things are maybe slowed down versus where they would have been before. There's all these other skills that they learned.

>> Absolutely.

>> Yeah. All right. Any other super fun stories from coming back you'd like add?

>> I think the funniest one is that when my students understand that I get to be in a space with other teachers of the year and opportunities like Space Camp and the upcoming Washington Week. Every time they're kind of in shock because they didn't understand that that's what happens when you become Teacher of the Year. And so right now I said -- I told them, hey, you know, if everything goes well I'm going to meet the president. And one student looked at me, of the US? And I said, yes, absolutely, of the US, of the United States of America. And so I'm just looking forward to being an ambassador for my territory and then bringing these stories back to my own students to share with them.

>> That's wonderful. I think that is a great note to leave it on. Thank you so much for joining us.

>> Thank you.

[ Music ]

>> Thank you for listening to the latest series of Voices from the Classroom: The State Teacher of the Year Podcast. This podcast is brought to you by the Council of Chief State School Officers National Teacher of the Year Program. It's our honor to elevate the voices of educators across the country and provide them with a national platform to amplify their message and advocate on behalf of their students and colleagues. Please, share these lessons on social media with the hashtag #NTOY21. That's hashtag N-T-O-Y-2-1. Let's keep the conversation going.