teacher of the year essay questions

9 Questions For National Teacher of the Year Finalist Kelly Harper

By Laura Zingg

April 23, 2019

Kelly Harper, a 2012 Houston alum, was recently named the 2019 District of Columbia Teacher of the Year, and is one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year. Kelly currently teaches third grade at Amidon-Bowen Elementary School in Washington, D.C., not far from where her family has lived for generations, and where she yearned to serve after her time in the corps.

Kelly is a former Teach Plus policy fellow, a highly selective program for educators interested in shaping policies that impact high-needs students. She was also a 2014 Sue Lehmann Excellence in Teaching Award Houston finalist and national nominee.

On a recent Friday, while leading her students to lunch in the cafeteria, Kelly took some time to discuss her work and some of the big issues impacting education.

How has your role as a teacher evolved over the seven years you’ve been in the classroom?

I've learned more about educating the whole child and understanding the child as a person. Before, I was so focused on just content. Content is critical. However, it's important that our students also have social-emotional learning and support. I've also evolved in terms of helping students make connections between what they are learning and how they can use it in their community.

Second, I've learned it's so important that you partner with families, and always assume the best intent. I always let parents know that I know you as parents; mom, dad, grandma, or whoever you are, you are the first educator for this child, you are the expert on this child. I want to partner with you to figure out what we can do to help your child meet and exceed their goals. I think that's one of the biggest things that helps to move the needle for students and to help communities and families.

How do you emphasize involving families in your students' education?

I've been a family engagement leader for several years, where I coach teachers on ways to connect with families. I've helped train teachers, both at my school and across the district, on how to do home visits, and how to use the home visit as a tool for learning about their students and their families. 

Studies show that students who receive home visits and additional teacher-school partnering have increased academic outcomes. Before we can get to conversations about a student's data or test scores, there has to be that foundation of trust. Home visits help to build that relationship.

What have you learned about your students from your home visits?

With the home visits, you're getting to see where the child lives every day, and what their passions are. One of my students was very reluctant to read. When I did the home visit, I saw that he had all these Legos and cars and hands-on items. I realized he was very interested in building things. So I said, “Let's check out some books that are related to that.” That student went from being a reluctant reader to loving to read. From there, he expanded the genres he wanted to read and realized he wants to be a civil engineer. 

A lot of times you ask families and students to come to the school, come to the classroom, come to the table. But when I'm sitting on a family’s couch, I'm in their space. It's a way to humble yourself and say, "I want to learn from you. What can I do to best educate your child?"

What are some ways that you have incorporated culturally relevant teaching in your classroom? 

It starts with learning about your students’ community. I asked a couple of parents to share some of the cultural treasures that are part of the community. There's a community garden, a corner store where everyone gets their snacks, different barber shops. Embedding those things into the classroom is important.

I found it's also critical to explore a variety of texts. In addition to providing exposure to diverse backgrounds that students can learn from, students also have to see themselves in the text. For example, one of the texts we read was from Harlem by Walter Dean Myers. When students learned how the families in Harlem were living, they were like, "Wow, that's like us."

Students have to be active participants in their education and feel as if it means something. Every year I take my students to Howard University, which is a couple of miles away and has been a mecca for generations in D.C., where students come to see older students on a college campus who look like them. It's the most beautiful thing when their eyes grow so big as they look at students who are “their future selves,” as they say. This helps create a visible road to success and to show them, "Here's why what we do in third-grade matters."

“That's what I want more educators to understand—that you can still make amazing changes while in the classroom.”

Kelly Harper

Third Grade Teacher, Amidon-Bowen Elementary School

Houston Corps Member 2012

Do you think you'll stay in the classroom? 

I definitely want to continue teaching for a few more years. However, my ultimate goal is to be the United States Secretary of Education. The fact that my educational experience and the experience of my cousins in D.C. was so vastly different and we're only about 20 minutes away from each other —t hat is not acceptable. But this is happening still across the nation.

I want to continue honing my craft because I feel that we have to have folks at the table who truly understand and have real on-the-ground experience with our students. However, I do know that we need folks in all arenas in order to enact change.

Why have you chosen to remain in teaching rather than working in another field that is addressing inequity?

Originally, I wanted to be an attorney. I thought this was how I could dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline . But after I interned at the prosecutor’s office in Maryland and at the Southern Center for Human Rights while in college, I noticed there were so many clients who were functionally illiterate. I thought, "What if we had prior support then that could have prevented this?" I wanted to unlock that door. That's how I came across Teach For America. 

My plan was to teach for two years and then go to law school. But then I got into the classroom and realized there's so much work to be done. I’m still in this field because I know that our students need consistency. And as a Teach Plus policy fellow, I'm able to enact policy changes while having a voice in the classroom. We advocated for social-emotional learning training for teachers. We now have a professional development program in place because of our advocacy work. That's what I want more educators to understand — that you can still make amazing changes while in the classroom .

If you had the power to change one policy that is impacting education right now, what would that be?

The way we're funding our schools needs to change. I think we need to start from the drawing board and shift how our schools are funded and how we support our most struggling schools because it's evident that what has been done is not working. 

In one of our schools that serves our most vulnerable students, there's a higher risk of absenteeism. There are additional social economic challenges. In order to truly equalize the playing field, there has to be funding to ensure that the community has what they need to be successful.

What advice would you share with people who are interested in becoming teachers?

The biggest thing is to build intentional relationships with your students and their families. We want our students to feel like their classroom is their home away from home. It's essential that we figure out ways to get to know our students on the individual level and use that knowledge about their strengths and their areas for growth in the classroom. When we build intentional relationships, that's a foundation. Once you do that, the content will come. Content is much easier when you have that strong relationship.

Do you feel like teachers are valued in our culture, and if not, what keeps you going?

In my particular district, they've done a lot of work to provide very competitive pay and professional development opportunities for teachers. But when I hear that some teachers are making only $5,000 or $10,000 more than they started making 20 years ago, that's disheartening. It shouldn't be that teachers need to have multiple jobs in order to make their ends meet. Our educators are professionals. That's something I'm very passionate about, especially when it comes to recruiting and retaining teachers of color, because we’re still not where we need to be. 

I don't think that we have all the respect, but I do believe some of the best encouragement I’ve received is from the kids and parents. When I get thank-you notes from parents or when I see other colleagues who are able to take a student who is really struggling to the next level — that is what keeps me going.

Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.

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• The Education Gradebook

In their own words: Excerpts from finalists' essays for Hillsborough's Excellence in Education awards

• Marlene Sokol Times staff

TAMPA — Three educators will be recognized on Jan. 24 as the top teacher, diversity teacher and support employee in the Hillsborough County public school system.

To get this far, they submitted essays that speak to their accomplishments and their spirit, from the painstaking task of decorating hallway bulletin boards to the careful planning of a physical education lesson for children with severe disabilities.

They hold hands and head committees, run demonstration classrooms and lead math night for parents at the local supermarket.

Here, in their own words, is just some of what this year's entrants did to reach the final round:

Nicole Bates , 36, math resource teacher, Mendenhall Elementary, Teacher of the Year:

"I bring math into the community by hosting events at Publix and the Village Inn. Watching parents and their children solve problems together in a realistic setting is inspirational."

Aymee Carbon Mejias , 49, Head Custodian, Eisenhower Middle, Instructional Support Employee:

"I think the most important thing is to listen to all people, even if they speak another language, have a different culture or cannot express it verbally."

Dakeyan C. Graham , 34, Director of Instrumental Music, King High, Teacher of the Year:

"Our classroom is a second home for my students. We refer to ourselves as a family. Since we spend more time together than some of my students spend with their biological families, we have the opportunity to generate and cultivate an atmosphere of mutual respect and rapport that translates into an incredible work ethic and desire to always demonstrate our best for one another."

Jordan Luke Harris , 21, Custodian, Stowers Elementary, Instructional Support Employee.

"I am a college student during the day and have studied Spanish and use my ability in that area to direct parents who do not understand very well where certain places are around campus. My childhood preacher told me every Sunday morning, 'people don't care what you know, unless they know you care,' so I've always tried to keep that in mind in my interactions with others."

Scott Hottenstein , 48, Social Studies Teacher, Barrington Middle, Teacher of the Year:

"My passion for education led me to run for School Board this year and also to actively support education issues during the election. Each year, I sharpen my focus on what works, discard what doesn't, and add new things to benefit the students."

Barbara Jean Maxwell , 60, Secretary, Dover Elementary, Instructional Support Employee:

"I love greeting the parents and students each day with a warm happy smile and helping the teachers and staff any way I can."

Le'Jean Michelle Miller, 48, Kindergarten Assistant, Just Elementary, Instructional Support Employee:

"I love making our children smile each day. I love making our school bright and beautiful. Our hallways have display bulletin boards for each classroom. For each month or holiday I love to make our boards come to life. For the first day of school to the last day of school I try to display something different for our children to see. For Black History and our Hispanic Heritage month, I display the history and the culture of our children. I love hearing the students say, 'Ms. Miller, I love what you're doing to the boards today.'"

Sandra Misciasci , 42, Reading Teacher, Newsome High, Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator:

"I purposefully search to find my students' strengths; I make at least 10 positive phone calls to my parents weekly. It is so much fun to hear parents experience a 'good' phone call, it is like they found hope in their child again!"

Amalia Santiago , 40, Gifted Teacher, Crestwood Elementary, Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator:

"Since I have had the privilege to be at the same school for 14 years, it has given me an amazing opportunity to be a part of many things. The ones I am most proud of is starting an annual Father/Daughter dance. I feel that especially with our population, it is essential that our girls understand they are beautiful, special and valued."

Anne Smith , 64, Physical Education Teacher, Caminiti Exceptional Center, Teacher of the Year:

"I gear my lessons and my relationships with students with the belief that confidence in P.E. leads to positive feelings of self-esteem and that P.E. activities strengthen peer and family relationships. P.E. is an excellent laboratory for cooperation skills that transfer into the classroom and increase independence for life."

Jeffrey Van Hise, 28, Fourth Grade Teacher, Gorrie Elementary, Teacher of the Year:

"I unlock potential by creating a risk-free climate that embraces diversity and fosters relationships with every student, every day. I dissolve school-home barriers using social media and family courses. By bringing math night to a local grocer, I created a community partnership. I crafted the school theme, 'Be the Change,' and will adopt a charity with my class."

Unique Vernon , 42, Social Worker, Stewart Middle, Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator:

"My role as a servant leader is to help parents, teachers and students identify and address barriers that interfere with student success and their future endeavors."

Tamon Williams , 27, Third Grade Teacher, Foster Elementary, Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator:

"I've given my sweat, my heart, and my smiles to being (that) teacher! The teacher who waits outside with a student until their parent comes home, the teacher who takes a student to get a haircut the day before the picture day because their mom is at her wit's end, the teacher who attends sporting events that are extracurricular and on Saturday mornings at 8:30 a.m., a teacher who picks up the phone in the middle of the night because a student is scared and doesn't know who else to call. I'm that nurturing teacher who loves and gives and loves and gives AND teaches her students so they'll be prepared for whatever life hands them."

Contact Marlene Sokol at [email protected] or (813) 226-3356. Follow @marlenesokol.

Education Reporter

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2024 Teacher of the Year Application Essay Questions

The questions you will be asked to provide responses to on this Application are listed below. It is recommended that you prepare your responses in a Word document and save the document. From that, you may copy/paste your responses into the form fields below as you fill out the Application, without losing your data. 

Section II. Response Questions Please respond to the following questions, highlighting your personal story and why you believe you should be the 2024 Birdville ISD Teacher of the Year. Please indicate evidence of student impact. Do not include external links. (Please adhere to the formatting instructions provided above and the word limits indicated below.)

• Describe a content lesson or unit that defines you as a teacher. How did you engage students of all backgrounds and abilities in the learning? Show how your deliberate instructional decisions create student learning and reveal your beliefs about teaching and learning. ( Limit: 750 words )
• Describe a project or initiative you have been involved in that deliberately creates culture in your classroom or school. Describe how you build and use relationships to collaborate and to teach students of all backgrounds, abilities, and identities. What is the status of this project today?  ( Limit: 750 words )
• As the 2024 National Teacher of the Year, serving as the ambassador of education for the United States, you have been asked to give a speech to a large audience of teachers. This speech is being recorded and will be shared broadly with a larger audience. What is your message? What is the talk you give? [You may indicate a specific audience. For example, a "back to school" talk.] ( Limit: 750 words )

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Here Are the Four Finalists for 2021 National Teacher of the Year

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As the coronavirus pandemic exposes and deepens educational inequities, the four finalists for the 2021 National Teacher of the Year were named in part for their work challenging injustices both in their school communities and on a national level.

The Council of Chief State Schools Officers announced on Wednesday the finalists for the national award, which recognizes teachers for their work inside and outside the classroom. The teacher who receives the national honor will be granted a yearlong sabbatical to represent the profession and advocate for an issue of choice.

Here are the four finalists:

• John Arthur , a 6th grade teacher in Salt Lake City, Utah;
• Alejandro Diasgranados , a 4th and 5th grade teacher in Washington, D.C.;
• Maureen Stover , a 9th and 10th grade science teacher in Fayetteville, N.C.; and
• Juliana Urtubey , an elementary special education teacher in Las Vegas.

All four finalists said that as National Teacher of the Year, they would advocate for more recruitment and retention policies that focus on teachers of color. Arthur is Asian, Diasgranados is Afro-Latino, Stover is white, and Urtubey is Latinx and was born in Colombia.

The selection committee said these four finalists “stand out as models of [the] creativity and dedication” that teachers have shown over the past year as they adapted to remote, hybrid, or socially distanced instruction and confronted social and racial injustice in light of societal unrest.

A focus on equity and inclusion

Arthur, who is a National Board-certified teacher and works in a high-poverty school, runs a class on the YouTube channel called 9thEvermore . Every year, Arthur has his students research an equity issue that affects them and collectively write a poem that’s set to music, filmed, and published on the channel. For example, in 2019, students wrote a poem criticizing the fact that migrant families were detained under a bridge in El Paso, Texas—and modeled the greeting they felt asylum seekers should have received instead.

“My 11- and 12-year-old students, the children of immigrants and refugees, understand that it is their right to defend marginalized individuals and communities, especially their own,” Arthur wrote in his application. “I believe all students can learn, and that when you embed rich, engaging content with specific and scaffolded learning strategies, students will rise beyond your expectations.”

Diasgranados, who is a Teach for America alumnus, teaches English/language arts and social studies. He teaches an activism unit each year, where students are encouraged to advocate for themselves and be “agents of change.”

“I’ve learned that students’ academic investment and resilience increase dramatically when they are invited to participate in the important decision-making processes that take place within the school,” Diasgranados wrote in his application.

When Diasgranados, as his school’s social-emotional learning lead, surveyed students, he learned that a factor driving student absences was their lack of access to reliable laundry. Students said they were bullied when attending school with unwashed clothes. Diasgranados applied for and received a $10,000 grant to construct a laundry center for his school community. Last October, he helped his school receive 265 laptops from the Drew Barrymore Show .

Stover, who teaches biology and earth and environmental science as well as Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID, a college and career readiness program, was an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force before becoming a teacher. She uses data-driven instruction to tailor lessons based on students’ unique needs. Stover said she does not give traditional tests, but instead uses performance assessment tools that let students demonstrate their understanding in their preferred learning style—including through song or poetry.

“I take a humanistic approach to teaching by delivering motivating, meaningful content,” Stover wrote in her application. “I firmly believe that every child has the ability to learn, and it is my responsibility to find the best way to help each of my students maximize their academic potential.”

Each year, she said, less than half of her students are projected to score a proficient score on the biology end-of-course exam—but for the past three years, more than 90 percent have demonstrated proficiency.

Urtubey, a National Board-certified teacher who co-teaches in prekindergarten through 5th grade special education settings, is known as “Ms. Earth-tubey” in her school community because of her work with her school’s garden. She leads a year-long unit called “Growth Mindset in the Garden,” in which she teaches students how their brains help them learn and manage their emotions and behaviors. She also teaches students outside in the gardens so they can make hands-on connections to the content.

“I empower my students by helping them understand how they can harness the power of learning by embracing mistakes and challenges,” Urtubey wrote in her application. “My instruction includes sensitive data collection that is responsive to their specific learning needs so they see what I see—that their learning emerges piece by piece.”

Urtubey raised $80,000 in grants to design and build a community garden for her previous school. Students—who call themselves “Garden Gnomies,” since they took care of the garden gnomes and were “homies” of nature—maintain the garden, compost food scraps, and harvest produce that is shared with the community on a sliding price scale.

A national winner will be picked in the spring

The finalists were selected from a pool of 49 state teachers of the year who hail from 44 states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and U.S. territories. Six states—Alaska, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, and Pennsylvania—and Guam didn’t name a 2021 state teacher of the year due to the pandemic.

A selection committee, made up of representatives from 16 education groups, chose the finalists based on their written applications, and will pick a national winner based on virtual interviews this spring.

Typically, the national winner and the other state teachers of the year are honored in a White House ceremony, and a CCSSO spokeswoman said the organization will be working with the White House to schedule this year’s ceremony “as soon as it is safe to do so.” Last year was the first year since 1952 the honorees weren’t able to visit White House grounds due to the pandemic.

In most years, the president receives the award winners. President Donald Trump made headlines in 2019 for his initial decision not to meet with the honorees, but he ultimately invited the teachers into the Oval Office for a surprise meeting.

Tabatha Rosproy, a preschool teacher in Winfield, Kan., won the national award in 2020 . She was the first early-childhood educator to receive the honor in the award’s history, which spans nearly seven decades.

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