Middle school Social Studies teacher Michelle Pearson of Thornton, Colorado, has been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. Photo credit: NTHF
I always enjoy sharing stories about exemplary educators who have earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Michelle Pearson, an elementary school teacher from Colorado. Michelle is one of five educators who have been inducted into the 2025 class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF).
Michelle earned her Bachelor’s degree in History from Mary Washington University in 1991. She inaugurated her 31-year career in the teaching profession when she accepted a position as a fifth grade teacher at Woodland Academy in Virginia. From there she went to the Annunciation School in Denver, where she taught K-8 technology. Next, she taught at Adams 12 Five Star Schools in Hulstrom, Colorado, in 2005. For the last ten years she has taught eighth grade social studies at Century Middle School in Thornton, Colorado, near Denver.
In her classroom, Michelle employs place-based learning. She regularly provides field study opportunities so her students can learn about historic places and public lands. She also employs real-world civics advocacy projects by asking them to write portions of local, state, and national legislation. Furthermore, she and her students have worked to lobby federal legislators for funding to support national parks and historic places, including key archaeology sites in the Four Corners region. Specifically, she led her students to work with legislators to help craft the Great American Outdoors Act, which helped to fund public lands.
Michelle’s NTHF honors includes a check for $20,000 by Canva, and an additional $20,000 check goes to her school. In May, she and her fellow inductees were flown to New York City for an in-studio appearance on CBS Mornings.
Michelle’s induction into the NTHF is not the only accolades she has earned. In 2011, she was named the Colorado State Teacher of the Year. In 2008, she was recognized as the Colorado Apex Technology Teacher of the Year
To read more about Michelle Pearson, click on this link to the NTHF.
