Congratulations to ESL educator Missy Testermann of Tennessee, who has been named the 2024 National Teacher of the Year. 

Missy teaches in rural Rogersville, Tennessee, where she has worked for over three decades. She taught first and second grade for many years, but currently works was a Second Language Specialist and Program Director.

Missy earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Reading Education from East Tennessee State University (ETSU). In addition, she earned her English as a Second Language license through Freed-Hardeman University. Missy uses this training in her rural Appalachian community, where she builds bridges between cultures between both families who have been in the area for centuries and newer immigrants. Through a curriculum focused on a study of Americans from diverse backgrounds, this exceptional educator allows students to better understand that people are inherently the same and that they all belong. 

View the six-minute YouTube video below of Missy’s appearance on CBS Mornings, where she was interviewed by Gayle King.