Ernestina Liranzo, a 5th grade teacher at Government Hill Elementary, is KTVA's Head of the Class.

Making every child in her classroom feel at home, Amber Hays of Valley Pathways School in Palmer is KTVA's Head of the Class.

Fairview Elementary's Heidi Hilmes is KTVA's Head of the Class!

Rebecca Zerby, a seventh grade science teacher at Begich Middle School, is KTVA's Head of the Class.

Tudor Elementary School's Derrick DeBusk is KTVA's Head of the Class.

Mike McGee, second and third grade teacher at Polaris K-12 School, is KTVA's Head of the Class.

Muldoon Elementary School kindergarten teacher Mallory McKay is KTVA's Head of the Class.

Vern Randall, a senior Army instructor at Bartlett High School, is KTVA's Head of the Class.

Angela Reid, a math teacher at Mirror Lake Elementary School, is KTVA's Head of the Class.

For this week's Head of the Class, we head to College Gate Elementary School in East Anchorage, where Gerald Ramos is making sure his third graders are ready for the transition to fourth grade.

SAVE High School math teacher Jessie Salway is KTVA's Head of the Class!

Marco Christian, a 6th grade teacher at Spring Hill Elementary School, is KTVA's Head of the Class.

East High language arts teacher Larry Wilson is KTVA's Head of the Class.

This week KTVA's Head of the Class is Lorianne Mordini, a second grade teacher at Wonder Park Elementary!

Jade Leon, a Spanish teacher at Clark Middle School, is KTVA 11's Head of the Class.

Fourth-grade Aquarian Charter School teacher Robert Stagg is KTVA 11's Head of the Class.

Abby O'Neill at Fire Lake Elementary School is KTVA 11's Head of the Class.

Wendler Middle School band director Megan Webb is KTVA 11's Head of the Class.

Jasmine Lewis of North Star Elementary School is KTVA's Head of the Class!

Eagle River Elementary teacher Johanna Bushue is KTVA 11's Head of the Class.

Creekside Elementary School physical education teacher Andrew Deckert is this week's Head of the Class.

Dimond High history and government teacher Lem Wheeles is KTVA's Head of the Class.

West High School band director Rebecca Haag is KTVA's Head of the Class.

Ocean View Elementary School fourth grade teacher Heidi Tsukada is KTVA's Head of the Class.

Romig Middle School Spanish immersion teach Anaely Leon-Hernandez is KTVA's Head of the Class!

Mears Middle School algebra teach Agripina Pascual is KTVA's Head of the Class.

Sarah San Martin is the KTVA Head of the Class. San Martin teaches preschool at Chester Valley Elementary School.

We're once again highlighting the educators who have made a difference in the lives of students and their community.

After serving in the U.S. Air Force for 26 years, Wayne Ashworth now teaches at Inlet View Elementary School.

KTVA went outside the classroom to find a Colony High School staff member who is going the extra mile to make students smile.

Our final Teacher is a middle school Science teacher from Nikiski.

Sandra Ehlers began her teaching career about 15 years ago in the Lower Yukon School District where she learned some valuable lessons.

Marissa Brennan’s students consider her family. She's been teaching at Kasuun Elementary School for 19 years and says she tries to teach social and life skills too.

Annette Alward, second grade at Kincaid Elementary School describes her 27-year-long teaching career as an adventure every day.

Rees Miller teaches chemistry and acting at West High School. "It's kind of a wild day, but I found a balance in it," Miller said. It's not everyday you see the arts and analytical math-based learning in the same classroom.

Learning a second language has been a life-long pursuit for Karen Cordero. For the past 11 years, she has been inspiring students at Eagle River High School to learn Spanish, as well.

David Tollerud teaches math at Colony Middle School in Palmer. His undergraduate is in mathematics, but he's also taught science, physical education and English. 

Our Teacher of the Week is Cricket Ives

Lusk teaches science at Wasilla Middle School and is big on life lessons. He encourages students to make the best out of any situation.

Nadine Price says health and physical education is the most important class her students will ever take. 

“Yes we can.” That is the motto of Wonder Park Elementary School teacher Joyce Banks. She and her second graders recite it together at the beginning of every class. It also serves as a verbal contract of sorts.

Eric Elliot is convinced he has the best job in the world.
"I've never had a bad day at work," he said. Elliot teaches in the Spanish immersion program at Government Hill Elementary.

At Chinook Elementary School, first and second-grade teacher Kris Hinrichsen educates his students on more than just academics.

Energetic and engaging -- Brittany Nerland is a second-grade teacher at Aquarian Charter School. Nerland says her secret to success is building relationships with her students.

West Anchorage High School’s Geometry and IB Math Studies teacher is a man on a mission.

KTVA 11’s Teacher of the Week is a fourth- and fifth-grade special education teacher at Meadow Lakes Elementary School.

Paula Saindon is teaching her middle schoolers skills they can use for the rest of their life.

Stick with it. It's simple but sound advice from Shawn Campbell, a band teacher at Mears Middle School and KTVA's Teacher of the Week.

After 29 years in the classroom, there’s a reason Denise Carey keeps coming back for more.

Mrs. Vaaia is a neighborhood teacher at Government Hill Elementary. She’s been teaching at the Spanish immersion school for the past eight years and feels close to the neighborhood's families and community.

Our Teacher of the Week is Frau Lucht, a music and band teacher from Hanshew Middle School

Natalia Sears sees math as a universal language that’s applicable in real-world situations.

Less than three years into her teaching career, Siray Abbey is already making a big impact in the Anchorage School District.

Robin Wold is teaching her kindergartners to dream big. “I want them to love learning. I want them to know that school is a fun place to be,” she said. “It is a place where they can be successful.”

At Bartlett High School, Creed Campbell aims to help his students get a better understanding of human nature through the social sciences.

Relatable, positive and passionate; it’s how students describe Allison Stengel.

Brian Wait is a biology teacher at Service High School, and has been teaching science for 26 years. His hope is for some of his students to pursue science after high school and create a career out of it.

Mrs. Kaitlyn Vallee teaches second grade at Mountain View Elementary School and has always known she wanted to work with kids.

Being in front of the classroom is second nature to Brad Goetz. He’s been teaching 5th grade at Kincaid Elementary School for the past 17 years.

In Rebecca Sedor’s per-kindergarten class at Nunaka Valley Elementary School, excelling socially is just as important as improving scholastically.

Doug Williams says he needs three things as a teacher: passion, patience and a lot of coffee.

This week's Teacher of the Week is Marcella Hitchcock, a second grade teacher from Pacific Northern Academy.

As Tudor Elementary School transitions to the Montessori Model this year, first-year teacher Jessica Mallory is helping to lead the charge.

When South Anchorage High School opened in 2004, English teacher Amy Habberstad was one of the original staff members.

Kathy Campbell has worked in active war zones and debriefed a four-star general in the United States Army, but she feels it’s in the classroom where she is making the most difference.

Tamela Kile has nearly 40 years experience teaching elementary education.

From a very young age, Asdid Derouen knew her heart belonged with kids.

Over the past school year, Daybreak has highlighted 35 educators for Teacher of the Week, from Palmer to south Anchorage.

When South Anchorage High School opened in 2004, English teacher Amy Habberstad was one of the original staff members. Thirteen years later, she is still working to make sure her students don’t take their classes for granted.

Kathy Campbell has worked in active war zones and debriefed a four-star general in the United States Army, but she feels it’s in the classroom where she is making the most difference.

Tamela Kile has nearly 40 years experience teaching elementary education. “I love children. I think they’re our tomorrow. I celebrate them,” said Kile.

From a very young age, Asdid Derouen knew her heart belonged with kids. “I love what I do,” Derouen said. “This is what I was meant to do.”

As Tudor Elementary School transitions to the Montessori Model this year, first-year teacher Jessica Mallory is helping to lead the charge.

Travis Harrington is giving back to his community. He was a Chugiak Mustang and grew up playing the trumpet.

From the time he was in elementary school, Shane Todd has enjoyed being in the classroom.

Wendy Barnes learned as a teenager that you should never take anything for granted. When she was 18 years old, she taught sick kids at a hospital in Chernobyl. She said the experience was an eye opener.

Vani Pillai may be a teacher, but she prefers to act more like a facilitator in her Bioscience Career Academy classes at Service High School.

Second-grade teacher Stefanie Stacey believes in hands-on learning.

For the first time in Laura Freeman’s 16-year teaching career, she is teaching just one subject — math.

Tudor Elementary Kindergarten teacher Joanne Christian is starting her students off with the basics — sounding and spelling three letter words and putting together sentences.

Although relatively new to Anchorage, Marissa Evans is already making a significant impact on students at Holy Rosary Academy in Anchorage.

Rebecca Julian says she may be strict, but her students know she cares about them.

Whether teaching AP Psychology or AP World History, KTVA’s Teacher of the Week wants her students to take away some valuable life lessons.

For Kaity Williamson, teaching is her dream job. “Every day is different,” she explained. “The kids are awesome.”

The day after Dee McKee learned her big brother Mike Kelly died in a plane crash, she went to school as usual.

Marsha Williams has always been a music person. She says there’s something about it that brings people together.

As a student, Randy Harrison struggled through high school. He says he knows how difficult the experience can be without the right support.

He’s a math teacher by trade and aviator at heart.

When she was just 7 years old, Lindsay Wackowski decided she wanted to be an educator. At the time, it had nothing to do with teaching.

Erika Crumley tries to make school feel more like a home than a classroom.

At just 9 years old, Erica Arnold was inspired by her fourth-grade teacher, Ken McCormick, to become a teacher herself.

Thomas Pease strives to get his students to be team players. He teaches language arts at Mears Middle School and structures his classroom to encourage interaction.

With a kind heart and a no-nonsense style, Rabbit Creek Elementary School kindergarten teacher Li Retus says she encourages her students to be sensible kids that care about their classmates.

Brett Bissell had a dream of being a naval officer, but it turns out life had different plans.

Airport Heights Elementary School teacher Emily Becker brings her love of nature into her sixth-grade classroom.

Michele Whaley has impacted thousands of students of the course of her career. She’s been teaching language in Alaska for more than 30 years.

Students at South Anchorage High School get to learn real-world tech skills in Lee Butterfield’s drone class.

Posters with phrases like, “math rocks” and “There’s no crying in math class!” are hung on the walls of Dorothea Culbert’s Mears Middle School classroom.

Perry Lewis’ classroom at Eagle River High School is his stage. His script is an adaptation of the history books.

A special shelf in Monika Oldham’s classroom at Willow Crest Elementary School holds nearly two decades’ worth of letters from her former students, all noting the lasting impression she’s made on them.