Minnesota Teacher of the Year

For my first post I thought I’d start with my comments from the Teacher of the Year press conference:

I am honored and humbled to receive this recognition. I know that my path to this podium is a unique one. But perhaps that will bring focus, in a good way, to the fact that there truly is no one best “teacher of the year.”

When I think of the phenomenal nominees, mentors, and my amazing colleagues from whom I learn so much and who inspire me daily, I wish this award could be broken into pieces and shared with them all: For they are talented teachers who are passionately dedicated to their students, and deserved of recognition. And I thank them for their inspiration and encouragement.

I would also like to thank my friends and family, many who have traveled to be here today: friends for your support and family for your unconditional love (especially my wonderful children Kaija, Ben, and Anna, and my amazing wife Kris).

As wonderful as this recognition is, my greatest achievement as an educator will always be, simply each and every time I have the opportunity to impact the life of a child in a positive way: to watch them grow, to learn, and to love to learn, and to leave my classroom ready for what the world brings them. William Butler Yeats said: “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.”

My passion for teaching was ignited when I was a senior economics major at St. Olaf.  I had the opportunity to travel to Asia, and while there I spent some time in orphanages in Thailand and Hong Kong. I returned with haunting images of those children and ultimately realized that teaching children is the way I believe God has called me to impact our world. And I count it among my greatest blessings that for the past 18 years I have been able to work with the children of our community.

With all this in mind, I view being recognized as Minnesota Teacher of the Year primarily as a responsibility and an opportunity to be a representative for teachers, an ambassador for education, and ultimately, an advocate for children: my children, your children, Minnesota’s children.