Teacher of the Year: Just Ask Kids to Join the Profession

Leon Smith has taught at the same Pennsylvania high school for 25 years, and he just became the 2026 National Teacher of the Year with a mission to solve a crisis. His plan to fix America's teacher shortage sounds almost too simple to work, but it's brilliantly effective.

A decade ago, Smith noticed something alarming. The number of Pennsylvania students studying education in college had dropped by 70%. The trend matched what was happening nationwide, with fewer young people choosing teaching careers despite constant talk about how important teachers are.

Smith knew he had to act. He joined policy fellowships and local programs designed to create pathways for future teachers, especially focusing on bringing more diversity to a profession that's 80% white.

His breakthrough came from education advocate Sharif El-Mekki, who shared one game-changing question to ask young people: "Have you ever thought about being a teacher?" That simple invitation rarely gets asked. Kids see STEM career fairs and commercials for dozens of professions, but teaching? They mostly hear negative stories in the media.

Smith's secret weapon is giving students a taste of making a difference. At his school, seniors work as "recess referees" at elementary schools, interacting with younger kids who think they're the coolest people alive. That admiration is powerful and often life-changing.

He experienced it himself in 10th grade when a Black student teacher walked into his classroom. Smith had never had a teacher who looked like him, and seeing that possibility changed everything. Now he aims to be that role model for his own students.

Why This Inspires

Smith says we've got Gen Z and Gen Alpha completely wrong. Online narratives paint them as lazy or apathetic, but inside his classroom, he sees students who are emotionally intelligent and desperate to create change. They're not checked out; they're overwhelmed by constant negative news and ready to actually do something about the world's problems.

Teaching gives them that power. When students realize they can actively shape their communities and future generations, something clicks. They want to be included in making change, and Smith believes they're more capable than most adults realize.

As National Teacher of the Year, Smith has appeared on major shows like Good Morning America and The Kelly Clarkson Show. He's using every moment in the spotlight to spread his message: we need to stop assuming young people know what teaching really offers and start asking them to join.

The solution to America's teacher shortage might not require massive policy overhauls or expensive recruitment campaigns—just an invitation and a chance to see the difference one person can make.