August 6, 2019
NASHVILLE – Today, Tennesseans for Student Success released the following video of 2018-19 Tennessee Teacher of the Year, Melissa Miller, in lieu of the 2019-2020 school year beginning. As an organization, we believe it’s important to celebrate educators and encourage leaders in the community to ‘Know Their Why.’
Here’s Melissa’s why:
“Hi! I am Melissa Miller and I teach first grade at Franklin Elementary School and I’m the Tennessee Teacher of the Year.
“This is my why. My why is to teach students to believe in themselves. My why is to see the invisible in each and every child. My why is to help students see what they can become, to inspire a passion for learning that is absolutely unquenchable.
“My why is to give every child, every chance, every day – to feel and to become successful.
“My why is to be that teacher that they never forget. You never know the reach you have, the touch your words have on a life. No matter what position you are, no matter what you do. Where you’re sitting right now, you are important in the lives of your teammates, of your workmates, of your family, of your friend.
“So I encourage you: write down your ‘why,’ and let that continue to grow as you continue to grow because we’re each really a piece of all of the others of an absolutely beautiful, amazing masterpiece. So write down your why. Do it now. Do it today. And let that keep growing as you keep growing.”
Click here to view the video.