Chris Dier, a high school history teacher from Louisiana, has been named his state’s 2020 Teacher of the Year. Now he’s one of four finalists for the national title of Teacher of the Year.

I love to share stories about educators who have earned recognition for their work in the classroom. One of these is Chris Dier, a high school history teacher from Louisiana. He’s been named his state’s 2020 Teacher of the Year. And he’s one of four finalists for the national title of Teacher of the Year.

At one time, Chris planned to become an attorney. However, during his senior year in college, frustrated by a constitutional law course, he accepted his mother’s invitation to observe her teaching a class at Chalmette High School. As he watched his mother, a veteran educator of more than 30 years, Chris was inspired to consider a career in education for himself. “I was immediately taken aback by the atmosphere in her classroom,” he recalled. “Students were learning, discussing, asking questions and developing a sense of self in real time. It was the first time I watched a class from the teacher’s perspective. After that day, I decided to give teaching a go,” he confessed.

St. Bernard Parish School District Superintendent Doris Voitlier cannot praise Chris enough. “His ability to connect with students from various backgrounds and abilities is a true testament to his compassion and professionalism,” declared Voitlier. “Dier’s passion is deeply rooted in providing an equitable education to all students and supporting fellow teachers to be culturally responsive,” she continued.

Chris earned his Bachelor’s degree in History from East Texas Baptist University in 2010. He had moved to Texas in high school after evacuating from Hurricane Katrina. After college, he returned to Louisiana. He completed a Master’s degree in Education 2013 and a second Masters degree in Educational Leadership and Administration in 2018, both from the University of New Orleans.

After he earned his degree, Chris inaugurated his career as a Special Education teacher at Trist Middle School. He taught there for two years. He also taught at St. Bernard Middle School for three years. Currently, Chris teaches World History and AP Human Geography at the Chalmette High School in St. Bernard Parish. He’s taught there for the past five years.

To read more about Chris, see this link from the University of New Orleans.