Petal Middle School teacher Cathy Lee didn’t even know that she’d been nominated for the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History’s 2018 Mississippi History Teacher of the Year award.
So one could imagine it came as quite a surprise when she learned she was the recipient of this year’s award, which honors one exceptional K-12 history teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and U.S. territories.
“I was in shock,” Lee said. “I could not believe it, because it’s such a prestigious honor. (The Lehrman Institute) does so much for the history of the United States.
“I took a trip a few years ago that was funded by them, where we went to the Lewis and Clark trail and went to Montana for a week-long trip, and they pay for that every year for teachers to go and experience history. So it was an unbelievable honor.”
Lee, who earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, has been teaching for 32 years, with the last 22 years at the Petal School District.
As part of the Mississippi History Teacher of the Year award, Lee will receive a $1,000 prize and be honored at an upcoming awards ceremony, the date of which will be released in the near future. In addition, the Petal Middle School library will receive a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials.
Lee also will get an invitation to a 2019 Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminar, a week-long program that offers teachers daily discussions with eminent historians, visits to historic sites and hands-on work with primary sources.
“Mrs. Lee does a great job engaging her students and making history come alive, through the traveling trunk, Socratic method and virtual history tours,” middle school principal Michael Hogan said.
And the honors might not stop there, as Lee is automatically nominated for the National History Teacher of the Year award, which will be presented by professor Edward Ayers, president of the University of Richmond, at an awards ceremony in New York in October.
“They take one from each state, and then they look at all the things that we send in with our nominations, and they choose one teacher from the entire United States,” Lee said. “So I’m just blown away. I just never dreamed that I would even be nominated, much less be chosen (for Mississippi History Teacher of the Year).
“It’s a great honor. I’ve met several teachers that I know who are wonderful teachers who have also applied, so I feel very honored to be chosen.”
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, and is dedicated to promoting the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources. For more information, visit www.gilderlehrman.org.
