Each year, every state in the nation names one exceptional teacher as its teacher of the year. Regardless of their home state, these teachers share an indefatigable dedication to teaching and a boundless passion for education.
2018 National Teacher of the Year finalist and Walden University MSEd graduate Kara Ball is no exception. An elementary school STEM teacher at DeLalio Elementary School in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Ball encourages curiosity in her students.
“I want my students to wonder about the world around them and to think about the possibilities they could have to make an impact on it,” she says. “I want them to want to leave the world a better place than they found it, and they can only do that if they’re curious and take risks.”
Ball encourages other teachers to be risk-takers and to challenge students regularly. “Making mistakes is a natural process of learning, and if we model what it looks like to be a learner and how to persevere through challenges, our students and children will, too,” she says.
Hear What Other State Teachers of the Year Have to Say
Walden is home to more than 150 state teachers of the year. They come from many backgrounds, but all share the same love of learning and teaching.
“I'm not the teacher I was when I started 21 years ago. I'm not the teacher that I was two years ago when I was named teacher of the year. I try to continually learn about teaching strategies and how we learn, and do what's best for children.”
Debra McDonald
Doctor of Education (EdD) Student
“Learning never stops, because there’s always something new or something you have the potential to change. You just have to keep going forward.”
Angela Mosier
Doctor of Education (EdD) Student
“When I think about what my online classroom community is like, I’m surprised at the connections I feel with my classmates who I’ve never met before face-to-face.”
Katie Anderson
Doctor of Education (EdD) Student
Why Walden?
In addition to their dedication and passion, state teachers of the year understand the value of earning a graduate-level teaching degree.
The programs in Walden’s Richard W. Riley College of Education and Human Sciences—including the MS in Education (MSEd) and Doctor of Education (EdD) programs—are specifically designed to help teachers enhance their skills and improve student achievement. These education degrees benefit even the best teachers because they provide even more tools for classroom success and career advancement.
If you’re looking to enroll in a graduate program for teachers, one of Walden’s programs could be the right fit for you. For example, features of the MSEd program include:
Relevant Learning Outcomes
Walden’s master’s in education program is designed to prepare you to:
- Apply pedagogical and discipline-specific knowledge, skills, and dispositions to support the learning and development of P–12 students.
- Design learning experiences that incorporate students’ strengths by building on prior background and addressing the learning needs of a diverse student population.
- Use data-informed practices to design, implement, and assess differentiated instruction within and across disciplines to promote student learning, critical thinking, and real-world application of knowledge and skills in technology-rich environments.
- Apply data-informed assessments to monitor student achievement, guide instructional planning, and ensure continuous improvement.
- Collaborate with families, communities, and other professionals to promote positive social change.
A Range of Specializations
At Walden, you can focus your MSEd degree on a specialized area of education, to develop the teaching strategies and skills you need for the career you want.
- Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (K–12)
- Educational Leadership and Administration (Principal Licensure Preparation)
- Educational Leadership and Administration (International Non-Licensure)
- Elementary Reading and Literacy (PreK–6) (Non-Licensure)
- Elementary Reading and Mathematics (Grades K–6)
- Integrating Technology in the Classroom (Grades K–12)
The Benefits of Online Learning
Online education offerings are ideal for teachers. For example, an online master’s in education program makes it possible for working teachers like you to earn your degree while continuing to teach full time. The online classroom is accessible wherever you have an internet connection, and you can choose when in the day you attend class.
Earning a master’s degree in education can help you become a better teacher and take your career further. Walden has the tools you need to make earning your MSEd a reality. We don’t just love teachers of the year. We love—and welcome—all teachers.
Read more about National Teacher of the Year finalist Kara Ball and learn how earning an MSEd degree from Walden University can help jump-start your classroom teaching.
Walden University is an accredited institution offering an MS in Education degree program online. Expand your career options and earn your degree using a convenient, flexible learning platform that fits your busy life.
Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.