John Arthur, an elementary school teacher from Utah, has been named one of four finalists for 2021 National Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Utah State Board of Education.
I always enjoy sharing stories about educators that have earned accolades for their hard work in the classroom. One of these is John Arthur, a teacher from Utah who has been named one of four finalists for 2021 National Teacher of the Year.
Currently, John teaches sixth grade at Meadowlark Elementary in Salt Lake City. He has taught there for eight years. John garnered widespread attention through teaching his students to create music videos that they share on the class YouTube channel, 9thEvermore. John’s students have received national recognition for their work. “I feel so blessed,” says the honored teacher. “Children are the best people and teaching is the best job. There’s just no better way to spend a day than working with kids,” he continued.
In addition to his classroom responsibilities, John has chaired the social justice committee for the Salt Lake Education Association. As a Korean American, he currently represents the Asian community on the Utah State Board of Education’s advisory committee on equity. He is also helping revise Utah’s K-6 social studies standards. John has been a speaker at numerous conferences, including the National Association for Multicultural Education, the Utah Education Association, and the Open Education Resources Project. He also delivered the keynote speech at the 2018 Leadership and Inquiry for Turnaround Conference. Furthermore, John serves as an Adjunct Professor in Graduate School of Education at Westminster College in Salt Lake City.
John graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in History. He earned two Master’s degrees, one in Teaching and the other in Education from Westminster College. In addition, he has earned endorsements in English as a Second Language and K-6 Special Education (mild/moderate disabilities). He is a National Board Certified Teacher.
