This Teacher Appreciation Week, let’s thank our teachers for all that’s going right in our nation’s classrooms
A lot is hard in education right now.
Educators are navigating historic funding cuts, political pressure, and rapid technological shifts—often without clear guidance or support. But in the midst of it all, something else powerful is happening: Teachers are leading. They’re creating inclusive, innovative, and future-ready classrooms that not only will prepare students for tomorrow’s workforce but are helping them thrive today. For Teacher Appreciation Week 2025, I asked some of the nation’s top educators—State Teachers of the Year, members of the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY), and finalists in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM competition—what’s going right—and what we can learn from the people making it happen. What emerged is a powerful story of resilience, hope, and purpose in the face of headwinds.
1. Teachers are leading through uncertainty—and with each other.
Across the country, teachers are already feeling the effects of funding cuts. “Somebody equated it to the Road Runner cartoon where the anvil hits Wiley Coyote and just smacks him,” is how Michelle Pearson, a middle school teacher in Colorado, put it. Supports for educators and students are shrinking—but peer-to-peer collaboration is growing stronger. Teachers are leaning on one another for ideas, moral support, and practical solutions. One educator called this community a kind of “Dumbledore’s Army”—a quiet resistance committed to doing what’s right for students, even when the systems around them fall short.
With federal STEM funding increasingly uncertain, many teachers are taking innovation into their own hands. Creative community projects, shared lesson plans, and partnerships with local organizations are becoming the norm, not the exception. When formal support falls short, teachers rely on each other.
2. Equity isn’t going away—it’s evolving.
Even as diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts face scrutiny from some quarters, teachers remain deeply committed to creating classrooms where every student feels seen, valued, and capable of greatness. That means reflecting students’ identities in the curriculum, celebrating cultural, linguistic, and racial diversity, and creating opportunities for all students to see themselves as scientists, creators, and problem solvers.
Lynn Jeka, a 6th grade science teacher in Nevada, shared how she fosters belonging despite external pressures. “From day one in my classroom, I have a whole bulletin board that says Everyone belongs in science. We feature scientists from all backgrounds—Latino, Native American, those with learning or physical disabilities,” serving as a daily reminder that science is for everyone.
But it’s not always easy. In some districts, educators are navigating how to address equity without naming it directly. “How do we make sure people aren’t left behind,” asked Dr. LouAnn Ross, CEO of NNSTOY, “when we can’t really address things quite out loud?”
Still, the resolve is there. Teachers are finding creative if quiet ways to keep equity at the center of their work—because they know from experience that their students need it to achieve their full potential.
3. Teachers are shaping how AI shows up in the classroom.
Artificial intelligence is no longer a future issue—it’s here, and teachers are being asked to make it work in real time. While many are still learning the tools, the most successful AI integrations are happening where educators are empowered with clear guidelines, ongoing training, and the space to explore ethical and instructional questions openly.
In classrooms where AI is working well, it’s being used not to replace teachers, but to support differentiated learning, spark student creativity, and connect complex STEM ideas to real-world applications. “AI gives students so many platforms to show learning,” said Gargi Adhikari, a 4th grade math and science teacher in New Jersey, “but we still need that social, emotional piece that a teacher can give, that human-to-human touch.” At the same time, teachers are learning alongside their students, which can be generative and exciting. “Students are excited by the process of trying to figure all that out,” Adrienne Wiggins, a K-5 computer science teacher in Nevada, shared, “and I’m learning, too.”
The need for equitable access to technology remains a major hurdle. Not every student or school has access to the devices or infrastructure needed to make AI integration meaningful—or fair. But where the tech exists, and where teachers are trusted to lead, it’s already opening up new doors for students.
4. Students are creating the future—in STEM classrooms led by trusted teachers.
Across the country, students are using STEM to tackle real problems in health, sustainability, accessibility, and more—with their teachers guiding the way. A recent national competition sponsored by Samsung, Solve for Tomorrow, invited teacher-student teams to design innovative solutions to real-life problems. Teams created practical and inventive solutions that touched every facet of life, from an AI-powered oral cancer screening app to a 3D-printed smart bandage that helps monitor wound healing in areas with a shortage of doctors.
These breakthroughs aren’t just about tech—they’re about purpose. As Allison Stransky, CMO of Samsung Electronics North America, put it, “We see STEM as the basis for students creating purposeful innovation. If they understand this, they’ll be the leaders who use STEM to create social change.”
Teachers are the ones creating the conditions for that kind of learning—whether it’s through hands-on community projects, inclusive, challenging curriculum, or simply offering students the time, skills, and support to follow their curiosity to the solutions of tomorrow. “What gives me hope is seeing how quickly students adapt and how curious they are, especially when they’re looking at the world around them,” Tehmina Khan, an elementary science and math teacher in Connecticut, offered.
5. Hope is alive—and it starts in the classroom.
Despite everything, teachers continue to find joy. They’re watching students who once struggled light up during hands-on investigations. They’re seeing young people step up as collaborators, as leaders, as change-makers. “Something I’ve noticed,” said Lynn Jeka, a 6th grade science teacher in Nevada, “is with all the advances in technology, there seems to be this sense of wonder, of like, what can we do next? I mean, things that we would have never dreamed of as little as 10 years ago, kids are seriously considering.” Lynn and other teachers are hearing questions like: Can we live on the moon? Can I code a solution to this problem? What’s the best way to help my community?
The answer, again and again, is clear: Yes. Yes, you can. And yes, you matter.
This Teacher Appreciation Week, let’s celebrate what teachers are doing—quietly, urgently, powerfully—to build that future with their students. Let’s trust them. Let’s support and invest in them. And let’s remember that in classrooms across the country, the future is already taking shape—because teachers are at the heart of it.