Teacher Appreciation Week gives the nation a special time to recognize how great teachers have the power to change students’ lives. But what makes a teacher great? It’s more than expertise in the subject being taught. It’s listening and connecting with students, building a culture of respect and trust, becoming partners in a student’s learning and making lessons fun and meaningful. Those are just some of the key attributes cited by the 2024 State Teachers of the Year in interviews earlier this year as they attended the Council of Chief State School Officers’ (CCSSO) National Teacher of the Year Program Orientation.
Each year, CCSSO celebrates State Teachers of the Year from U.S. states, territories, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense Education Activity by providing them with a unique yearlong program of professional learning and engagement. And as the nation marks Teacher Appreciation Week this May, these teachers share their thoughts and ideas about what makes their work special and how teachers can inspire their students to achieve success in school, careers and life.
In a series of new videos, hear these teachers discuss their keys to making a difference in the classroom, offer advice to new teachers and discuss the future of education and how it may be impacted by artificial intelligence.
In addition to the video series, 2024 National Teacher of the Year Missy Testerman authored this blog post to kick off Teacher Appreciation Week, which includes a video highlight from the four 2024 National Teacher of the Year finalists.
CCSSO’s National Teacher of the Year Program and our generous supporters at Google for Education are proud to share, and we invite you to as well using this social media toolkit.
