MERIDIAN, Idaho — A Meridian middle school teacher is the 2022 Idaho Teacher of the Year.
Todd Knight was selected by a blue-ribbon panel from among ten finalists.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra surprised the science teacher with a $1,000 check during a ceremony at Crossroads Middle School on Thursday afternoon.
"I love this Teacher of the Year process for reminding us how many truly remarkable teachers we have in Idaho who make education a transformative experience," Ybarra said. "We received about 150 nominations this year that resulted in 39 teacher applications, and learning about these educators' creativity, passion and impact on students is energizing and inspiring. This year's winner, Todd Knight, exemplifies those qualities, building relationships and collaboration with students, fellow teachers and the community."
Knight will serve as the representative for Idaho educators and as the state’s nominee for National Teacher of the Year.
Knight has worked in the Treasure Valley for 11 years after he graduated from Boise State University. Ybarra said that he exemplifies creativity, passion and has an impact on the students.
"Todd has a special gift for engaging and exciting students by finding personalized, relatable ways to communicate scientific data and principles," Ybarra said. "Instead of lecturing about Newton's Laws of Motion, he inspires students to show what they know, and learn in the process. Some of his students wrote a research paper on how tackling in football demonstrates equal and opposite reactions, while others showed how a Tug-of-War match between equal teams illustrates inertia."
Principal Joe Palaia said Knight's skills are particularly vital at Crossroads, a smaller "school of choice" for students who may struggle in large traditional schools.
Knight has taught science at Crossroads since 2014 and for the past five years has served as digital technology lead and chair of the science department.
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