50 Great Teachers : NPR Ed What is great teaching? Can it be taught? How do good teachers become great ones? Join NPR Ed as we explore these questions, telling the stories of great teachers.
nprEd
HOW LEARNING HAPPENS50 Great Teachers
Reporting Live From Miami: A Bunch Of Fourth-Graders Tell Their Teacher's Story
Maurice Ashley, a chess grandmaster and the first African-American to hold that title, talks with his son, Jayden. Carolyn Cole/LA Times/Getty Images hide caption
Elder colors paper leaves for the Life Skills tree. When they finish coloring, students will write skills they want to master on the leaves. Elissa Nadworny/NPR hide caption
Sarah Hagan, a young algebra teacher in rural Oklahoma oil country, stays where she is because her students "deserve better." Elissa Nadworny/NPR hide caption
Tia Tsosie Begay is a fourth-grade teacher at a small public school on the outskirts of Tucson, Ariz. Elissa Nadworny/NPR hide caption
Haley on the Willamette River. David P. Gilkey/NPR hide caption
Deborah Ball introduces a math problem to students at the Mathematics Teaching and Learning to Teach seminar at the University of Michigan. Brian Powers/University of Michigan hide caption
Molly Pollak pages through a book of letters from her former students. Alex Welsh for NPR hide caption
Ainissa Ramirez LA Johnson/NPR hide caption
Cooper is known as the Swim Whisperer. He's been teaching swimming full-time since 1995. Elissa Nadworny/NPR hide caption
Mathias "Spider" Schergen in his art room at Jenner Elementary Academy of the Arts in Chicago. Elissa Nadworny/NPR hide caption
Principal Ali Shalalha stands at the entrance of the high school. Though the school has closed for summer, it's filled with students who are studying for exams. Tanya Habjouqa for NPR hide caption
Frozen In Time, Remembering The Students Who Changed A Teacher's Life
Whaley walks his students back to class from the library. Christopher Gregory for NPR hide caption
One Teacher's Quest To Build Language Skills ... And Self-Confidence
Sam Venable teaches music at Langston Hughes Elementary in New Orleans. LA Johnson/NPR hide caption
Rodney Carey (left) with students at the Youth Empowerment Project in New Orleans. LA Johnson/NPR hide caption
Teacher Sarah Hagan (center) receives the key to the city from Mark Whinnery, the city manager of Drumright, Okla., and Mayor Deborah Bright. Courtesy of Melinda Parker hide caption
"One of my biggest goals as a sex educator is to be sex-positive," Solow explains. Christopher Gregory for NPR hide caption