Earlier this year, the 2015 State Teachers of the Year (STOY) were announced by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and recognized by the President at the White House as part of the National Teacher of the Year Program*. Therefore, who better than these distinguished teachers to kick off this Back-To-School Special Edition of The Source for the 2015-16 school year?


Earlier this year, the 2015 State Teachers of the Year (STOY) were announced by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and recognized by the President at the White House as part of the National Teacher of the Year Program*. Therefore, who better than these distinguished teachers to kick off this Back-To-School Special Edition of The Source for the 2015-16 school year?

 

Within this Special Edition of The Source, you will find that our authors have shared their advice, personal perspectives and experiences—in and outside of the classroom—along with how each of their stories contribute not only to their success, but most importantly to student success.

 

In this issue, you will read articles exploring the importance of mentoring between experienced teachers and newer teachers as well as a focus on building (and maintaining) relationships with fellow teachers to continuously mature in the profession. You will learn the inspiration behind what motivated many of our authors to become teachers and how that influences their methods to engage students in learning. You will explore the benefits of personalized learning and advocating for education. By the time you finish this edition, you will also come to understand why classes outside of the core subject areas can be instrumental to providing a well-rounded educational experience that promotes students’ long-term development.

 

Our authors represent sixteen State Teachers of the Year as well as a National Teacher of the Year finalist, and they teach subject matters ranging from math to music and represent schools and school systems in: Arizona, Colorado, Department of Defense Education Activity, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming.

 

We developed this Special Edition: Back-to-School Advice from the 2015 State Teachers of the Year to benefit all stakeholders within the education community whether you are a student, parent, teacher and/or administrator. As you read these personal experiences from each of our teachers, we hope you feel motivated to share these articles and your comments using our new social media sharing buttons with your personal, professional and social networks.

* Participation in the National Teacher of the Year (NTOY) Program is available through the State Teacher of the Year Program. As shared on the CCSSO website, “Each year the 50 states, five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity name a state teacher of the year. Within the states the selection processes vary, but each state conducts a rigorous selection procedure in validating the State Teacher of the Year's abilities in the classroom and in communicating the recipient's message to a broad audience.”