In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2017 Mississippi Teacher of the Year Jodi McKenzie tells us how a trip to the Mississippi Delta changed her perspective on adversity, and inspired her to be a voice for change with policymakers.

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2017 West Virginia Teacher of the Year Toni Poling tells us about the moment she knew she was meant to use her voice to advocate for her fellow teachers.

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2017 Washington Teacher of the Year Camille Jones tells us about Marisa, the student who showed her what can happen when students and teachers support one another.

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2017 Nebraska Teacher of the Year Amber Vlasnik tells us about how she traveled thousands of miles in search of the secret to the Finnish education system—and instead, discovered a universal truth.

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2017 North Dakota Teacher of the Year Nanci Dauwen shares how her journey began with one simple question: "How can I honor all of the other wonderful teachers in my state?"

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2017 Rhode Island Teacher of the Year Nikos Giannopoulos tells us about how he achieved his own dreams by helping his students reach theirs.

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2017 Utah Teacher of the Year Valerie Gates discusses the heartbreaking struggles of supporting undocumented students, and the inspiring actions she took when one of her students was taken in an imm...

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2017 Nevada Teacher of the Year Pam Ertel talks about why language, and the words we use, are so important in education.

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2017 Colorado Teacher of the Year Sean Wybrant tells the story of how he discovered his platform through the stories of the kids in his own classroom, and how he used that platform to advocate for c...

In this episode of Leading from the Classroom, 2017 Department of Defense Education Activities Teacher of the Year Kelisa Wing tells the story of how a missed opportunity to meet her personal hero became her opportunity to be present in a histor...