Jefferson City Public Schools' Teacher of the Year Nikki Carel has been selected as a regional finalist, one step closer to being a finalist for state Teacher of the Year.
Carel said she was shocked to discover she was one of the three regional Teacher of the Year winners. There is one more selection process before the final 32 teachers in the running for Missouri State Teacher of the Year are announced.
Carel has been a first-grade teacher at Pioneer Trail Elementary for five years and a teacher for 14 years, starting as a kindergarten teacher in Moniteau County.
She is "adept with building positive relationships with all students so they feel safe and included," and her "attitude greatly impacts the environment of her classroom," according to her district nomination for the award.
The Mid-Missouri native has wanted to be a teacher since she was a child and was influenced by the teachers she had through her formative years.
"It's the job that you never know what you're going to get," she said. "It's a surprise every day, which is rewarding in itself. It keeps me young at heart, and it's just the most rewarding thing when they learn something or master something that you've been trying to teach them. Who wouldn't love a job like that?"
The lengthy application for Missouri Teacher of the Year includes describing the nominee's teaching philosophy, professional biography, trends in education and what could be improved.
Carel said she would have to take some time to think about how education should be improved, but adding more technology to the younger grades is one aspect that always comes to mind.
"I think there are a lot of things we can change to do what's best for kids as far as making more technology available in the classrooms as young as first grade," she said. "It would make life easier if we had more technology. It helps build global connections more frequently, and that's something I'm passionate about. I love building those positive relationships with our kids and parents and everyone. It starts with those positive connections across the board."
Having strong professional development for teachers is another key component of being an effective educator, she said, as she was attending a professional development camp.
The 32 finalists for Missouri State Teacher of the Year should be announced in September, she said.
This year was the first time Carel was selected as Teacher of the Year at the district level.