On September 2, Melissa Ziegler, Medical Interventions and Biomedical Innovations instructor at Four Rivers Career Center received a visit during class from the FRCC staff and students to announce to her that she had been named a Finalist for the 2022 Missouri Teacher of the Year. She and six other teachers from other regions in the state of Missouri then had interviews on September 8., to decide the winner of the award. As a finalist, she has gone through multiple stages to be considered for this honor and this journey.

“It starts with your district and you have to be nominated for the teacher of the year award within your district. Once you’re awarded within your district you are encouraged to apply at the regional level,” said Ziegler, “From the regional teacher of the year you have to write three essays, and create a resume to submit.”

These essays, and the resume, are to show who a finalist is as a teacher, and can feature examples of work with students. Finalists are required to submit three letters of recommendation as well.

““So, the essays are very specific, and from what I have been told they are looking to get a glimpse of who you are as a teacher. Meaning they want you to tell your story. So they want you to personalize it.” said Ziegler. “They typically recommend that one [of the letters] has to be from your immediate supervisor, but you can do a superintendent, a student, parents, any of those would be appropriate letters.”

This experience has been one which has provided her a lot of ability to self reflect when writing the aforementioned essays, and from providing examples and experience which show who she is as a teacher. This reflection, Ziegler says, has shown that despite over 23 years of work in education she still has more to learn about her career.

“Even though I’m a finalist for Missouri state teacher of the year I don’t feel like I’ve reached the peak of the mountain and now there’s nothing else for me to learn.” said Ziegler, “I feel like, if anything, there’s so much else for me to learn. And part of that has been through looking back at what I’ve done, but also acknowledging the things I have left to do.”

Aside from the personal growth that reflecting in this process can give a finalist, just being named a finalist can open up many opportunities. 

“I’ve already been invited to be a keynote speaker for Educators Rising, [and] I’ve been offered to give presentations at the state level, so you know when teachers are looking for professional development outside their district, oftentimes those are facilitated by the finalists from previous years or even in the current year.”

With these opportunities, Ziegler is able to share her message on effective teaching, one which is built around providing a “practical application to content.”

“My approach has always been that it’s been about the constructing experiences or the application part of the lessons that I’m doing. So it’s more about giving the practice and then providing the explanation, or to allow the students to get to that understanding by the experience.” said Ziegler.

Ziegler expressed that another part of her message revolves around making sure to involve teachers in planning and implementing changes, and to simply trust our professionals.

“[Teachers] do a lot of professional development, we take a lot of training, we go to school, we’re very connected to the students that we work with, we need to be in the room when those changes are going to impact us and our students.”