In Conversation with 2024 National Teacher of the Year, Missy Testerman

In mid-June, just as school had ended and the summer program was in full swing, Smithsonian Under Secretary for Education Dr. Monique Chism had the opportunity to connect with Missy Testerman as the newly named 2024 National Teacher of the Year from Rogersville, Tennessee. Just a few weeks prior, Testerman and the 2024 State Teachers of the Year had been in Washington, D.C. for the National Teacher of the Year Program Washington Week for their national week of recognition hosted by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The celebratory week included opportunities to meet with legislators, to explore professional learning opportunities with the Smithsonian, and to participate in a State Dinner honoring the teachers hosted by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden at the White House—a historic first typically reserved for visiting dignitaries from other countries. The event showcased the significant impact of teachers like Testerman on a national stage. 

Within minutes of meeting Missy Testerman, you can’t help but feel the warmth she exudes. With decades of teaching experience in her toolbox, Testerman proudly took on a new challenge in 2022 when her school had a vacancy for an English as a Second Language (ESL) specialist that she knew desperately needed to be filled. The school is situated in a small community of roughly 4,500 people and while many in the community can trace back their lineage to Tennessee at least a hundred years, there are newcomer students and their families that need support as they adapt to a new place. Testerman has been the perfect fit for the role.

Testerman recalls her early schooling days in kindergarten fondly and remembers knowing right away that she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up. This spark started young and was an ongoing commitment she maintained becoming a first generation college attendee and graduate. Now, looking back on the beauty of having taught for 32 years in a small town, she shares that some of her very first elementary students are parents themselves now sending their own kids to school. What started as a passion for teaching has now shifted to the opportunity to make an intergenerational impact in her community.

As Tennessee’s State Teacher of the Year, Testerman forged partnerships with East Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee to encourage pre-service teachers and give authentic feedback to university leaders about their educator preparation programs. Testerman feels very fortunate to have had a strong mentor teacher early on in her career, named Mary Jo Weaver. One of Mary Jo's teaching mantras stays with her today as she faces sometimes challenging dilemmas in her teaching: "What do you think is the best thing for the kids?" The power of this disarming question is simple and centers students' needs in a way that's hard to argue over.

Over the decades, Testerman has always wanted to be a reassuring presence for students, especially for those students that often feel like success in school doesn't come easy for them. She wants her students to feel comfortable and supported to explore and make mistakes in her classroom. Oftentimes, she sees her role as convincing students that they have the potential to overcome difficult challenges.

Testerman says some of the best professional development she's received has come from her peers in her school building. When limited resources meant funds cut for training, teachers rallied around the importance of sharing their insights and expertise with each other and even checked in on each other for ongoing follow-up and support. Likely more than any other profession, teachers share lessons learned and allow others to borrow and build upon each others' ideas--they want each other to succeed keeping students' best interests in mind.

Among the causes Testerman cares about in education, she hopes teachers will continue to embrace their roles as education experts. She encourages teachers to find and use their voices as experts to inform decision-makers of today’s classroom experiences to meet all students’ needs. She offers a continuum of how to get involved from sharing perspectives, offering an idea for improvement, or advocating for policy change. "Go to your principal and say, "I don't know if you've thought of it this way, but this might work a little better." Contact a legislator when you know they are working to implement policy that's working... that allows you to go back and share your concerns about future policies as well." More than just the stereotype of complaining in the teachers' lounge, Testerman urges teachers to be part of the solution at all levels of decision-making in education; harkening back to her mentor's sage advice to do what's best for the kids. 

As a self-described "museum nerd," Testerman notes that often teachers in her community will have to travel at least an hour to explore museums, historic sites, and other cultural institutions. She wants to equip her students with a world of knowledge that's out there. Teachers in rural areas, like Missy's, often get creative in connecting with online programming and ensuring access to extended learning beyond the classroom walls.

Even when she's not teaching or leading speaking engagements, she actually enjoys school-related tasks, like lesson-planning, grading, and even watching school board meetings for areas across the country to learn more about key issues.  Knowing burnout among teachers is a concern for longevity in the field and bringing your best self to work each day, she strives to reach a work-life balance. Testerman enjoys hikes in nearby Bays Mountain and daily runs or walks in the morning with her husband to help clear her head and feel recharged for the day. 

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In addition to 2023-2024 Tennessee Teacher of the Year and 2024 National Teacher of the Year accolades, Testerman was also featured in her school's "Gallery of Gratitude" display--an honor she proudly shared on social media that featured marker and crayon drawings from some of her past students who are now fourth graders. The drawings include congratulatory messages, getting her smile and hair just right, and one even included a message from a poster that hangs in her classroom ackowledging the strengths of multilingual students. Testerman lit up when talking about the four student artists, saying "...they radiate happiness and all things that are good in the world." Based on the loving care and detailed artistry in these portraits, it's safe to say the admiration is mutual.

Testerman shared an anecdote of what it’s like to be named Teacher of the Year on the national stage in a small town and smiled saying sometimes trips to the grocery store now take twice as long. Families from students past go up to her to congratulate her on the honor and sometimes it’s people who are just proud to know Rogersville is on the radar of the national scene for something really positive—a teacher who cares so deeply for all her students. In the year ahead, Testerman gets the chance to advocate for all teachers and students across the country as the 2024 National Teacher of the Year.

Editor's Note: Join 2024 National Teacher of the Year, Missy Testerman, for the Smithsonian National Education Summit on July 16-18. Testerman will deliver an online keynote address on Tuesday, July 16 at 4:00 p.m., Eastern. More information about the session line-up and free registration is available here: https://s.si.edu/EducationSummit2024

Ashley Naranjo | | READ MORE

Ashley Naranjo is a museum educator, specializing in the use of digital resources for teaching and learning. She currently manages education partnerships in the Smithsonian’s Office of the Under Secretary for Education. She has developed and implemented professional development opportunities for teachers, librarians and fellow museum educators since 2011. She holds a B.A. in Human Development from the Lynch School of Education at Boston College and a M.Ed. in Learning Design and Technology from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. She is a 2019 graduate of the Getty Leadership Institute’s NextGen of Museum Leaders program.