Virginia math teacher Avanti Yamamoto has been named her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Richmond
There are many outstanding educators working in our nation’s schools today, all of them deserving of special recognition. One of them is Avanti Yamamoto, a high school mathematics teacher from Hanover County, Virginia. She has been named her state’s 2025 Teacher of the Year!
Avanti teaches precalculus and International Baccalaureate math applications and interpretations at Atlee High School in Mechanicsville, Virginia. In her classroom, Avanti prioritizes critical thinking and real-world connections, ensuring that students of all abilities feel capable and supported in their learning. She says she is committed to inclusive teaching, working with students who are in special education programs all the way to advanced math courses. She also collaborates with teachers in other disciplines, working with her colleagues to design innovative math projects that blend creativity with pracical applications.
Beyond the classroom, Avanti writes a blog entitled, Beyond the Bell. She also participates in statewide presentations, where she highlights inspiring stories of educators from across the commonwealth who are making meaningful impacts and offers suggestions for creating positive environments among her colleagues. Furthermore, she has spoken internationally about educational practices, including audiences of teachers in rural Manthani, India, where she has deep personal ties.
Avanti’s passion for education was inspired by a university professor who made math accessible and exciting, Avanti says. That professor motivated her to reconsider a career in medicine, and choose instead a career path where she helps students see themselves as “math people.”
Avanti earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biomathematics from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2012. She is currently working on her Master’s degree in Education from James Madison University. In addition, she is a National Board Certified Teacher in Adolescence and Young Adulthood Mathematics. Her career as an educator spans ten years.
In addition to her State Teacher of the Year honors, Avanti has been named a Hanover Scholars Honored Educator multiple times, and she is also a finalist for Hanover County’s Innovator of the Year award.
