[Weekly Inspiration] Top 5 Inspiring Teacher Videos from Ellen – Grab Your Tissues!

Teacher Appreciation Month is all month long – are you ready? There are thousands of inspiring teachers who make a huge impact on students every day. Ellen DeGeneres is a HUGE fan of teachers and often highlights and surprises teachers who go above and beyond the call of duty for their students. Grab a box of tissues and check out 5 of our favorite inspiring teacher videos from Ellen below:

Sonya Romero – “Educators are the first responders”

Sonya is an outstanding kindergarten teacher from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She serves as a positive and caring educator to her students by making sure that at the beginning of the day they are wearing clean clothes, have eaten breakfast, and their teeth are brushed. She has even taken in two of her former students and has become their full-time foster mother.

Michael Bonner – “You have to find a way to continually fight and persevere”

Michael Bonner is an incredible second-grade teacher in South Greenville, North Carolina. Many of his students struggle with difficult home lives and are homeless. Mr. Bonner’s unique, rap-filled teaching methods encourage students to go above and beyond in their studies.

Jahana Hayes – “Your journey is not determined from where you begin”

Jahana Hayes is an amazing high school social studies teacher in Waterbury, Connecticut. Hayes was the recipient of the 2016 National Teacher of the Year award. She was honored in Washington DC and even got to meet then-president Barack Obama. Check out her amazing story of how she was able to beat the odds to achieve her dream of becoming a teacher.

Wyatt Oroke – “If you fill your classroom with love today, you’re going to fill the world with love tomorrow”

Wyatt Oroke is an inspiring middle school humanities teacher in Baltimore, Maryland. He works in one of the poorest districts in Maryland and strives to provide the support and encouragement his students need. Oroke realizes that many of his students don’t have access to equal opportunities & resources and he wants to change that. He firmly believes that it is his duty to enrich the lives of his students and provide them many opportunities and access points to achieve both in and out of the classroom.

Michael Scruggs – “Whatever you put your mind to, you can be the best at anything you do”

Michael Scruggs is a motivating high school history teacher in Memphis, Tennessee. He starts off each of his 6 classes with a daily mantra for students that reads: I am number one. He is a firm believer that you can achieve anything and encourages his students to believe in themselves.

We cannot even begin to thank teachers everywhere for the challenge they take on: educating future generations of the world. We all can remember a teacher who has had a positive impact on our lives. How do you even begin to thank the teacher in your life? Be sure to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Month all month long and check out our guide for 6 Last-Minute Gifts for Teachers!