Each year, the Indiana Teacher of the Year Program works to inspire, rejuvenate, and celebrate the teaching profession by recognizing outstanding teachers from across the state. Local schools are encouraged to follow the selection process and local Teacher(s) of the Year are encouraged to complete the state application process. The Indiana Teacher of the Year Screening and Selection Committees review all eligible applications and are made up of former INTOY recipients, IDOE staff, educational organization leaders, business and community leaders, and representatives from Higher Education. Indiana’s Teacher of the Year is selected to represent Indiana Teachers through the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) National Teacher of the Year (NTOY) program. The INTOY award is a lifetime role in education, which has many opportunities to celebrate teaching and uplift the teaching profession. INTOYs are comprised of a network of exceptional teachers whom are now retired educators, administrators, college professors, and teacher leaders that continually provide support to the education community.
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) is honored to support the Indiana Teacher of the Year program. IDOE works with the school district where the INTOY is employed to provide release time and coverage for several national events, as well as several statewide opportunities. However, the Indiana Teacher of the Year does maintain their role as a full-time teacher during their year of service. To honor the balance of professional and personal time spent preparing for and traveling to speaking engagements, we ask that all speaking engagement requests be submitted here with as much notice as possible.
District Teacher of the Year recipients are invited to complete the 2024 Indiana Teacher of the Year application by 5:00 p.m. ET, Friday July 7, 2023. Each school district may nominate their locally recognized TOYs from the 2022-2023 school years to allow up to two teachers, one at the elementary and one at the secondary level, from each district to be considered during the 2024 Indiana Teacher of the Year selection process. For additional information, please contact our team at INTOY@doe.in.gov.
Welcome to the Indiana Teacher of the Year Program!
2024 Application Materials
INTOY Celebrations!
2023 Indiana Teacher of the Year: Congratulations to Tara Cocanower, Bluffton-Harrison MSD, Indiana’s 2023 Teacher of the Year!
Meet some of Indiana's recent Teachers of the Year
- 2022 Teacher of the Year: Sharita Ware
- 2020 Teacher of the Year: Katheryn Pourcho
- 2019 Teacher of the Year: Tamara Markey
- 2018 Teacher of the Year: Jerome Flewelling
- 2017 Teacher of the Year: Jitka Nelson
- 2016 Teacher of the Year: Jean Russell
- Past Indiana Teachers of the Year
- Past Indiana History Teacher of the Year
- Past Indiana Teacher of the Year Program Finalists (1997-present)
Indiana Teacher of the Year Sponsors
