PROFILE
Leslie Nicholas
Pennsylvania State Teacher of the Year, 2004

Biography
Leslie Nicholas received the 2013 NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence at a gala in Washington, D.C. considered to be the Academy Awards for public education. He also received the Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence. In the summer of 2013 he studied Brazil’s educational system as part of a Pearson Foundation Global Fellowship.
In 2009 he was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame. In the same year, he was one of five national finalists for the Great American Teacher Award. He was a member of the 2006 USA Today’s All USA Teacher Team. He is a 2005 Disney Teacher and the 2005 University of Pennsylvania Educator of the Year. He is also the 2004 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year.
Before teaching English in the Wyoming Valley West Middle School, he advised the award-winning yearbook, literary-art magazine, and newspaper at the high school. He built the student-run radio station and television station where his students gained experience with daily broadcasts. His students distinguished themselves in various journalism contests including the Pennsylvania Student Journalist of the Year in 1998. For his contributions to scholastic journalism and especially for his defense of the First Amendment, he received the 2006 Medal of Merit from the Journalism Education Association and the 2007 Student Television Network’s First Freedom Award. He was named the Pennsylvania Journalism Teacher of the Year in 2002.
He coached track and field for 17 years and compiled a record of 102 wins against just 7 losses. He is a fourth-generation educator who is passionate about teaching. He and his wife Jo Ann live in Kingston, Pennsylvania. They are the proud parents of their son, Jordan
Member of NNSTOY
We are a network of State Teachers of the Year and Finalists who use our teacher leadership to ensure that every student receives an outstanding education. We do this through our focus on practice, policy and advocacy.
We Believe...- Every student has a right to a high-quality education, regardless of background, race, gender, disability or socio-economic status.
- To achieve educational excellence for all students, we must transform and support the teaching profession.
- It is imperative that we involve our nation’s expert teachers in conversations about improving education.
- Teacher leaders will transform the teaching profession and create, implement and sustain systems to solve our toughest educational challenges.
- We must prepare our country’s future workforce to be competitive in a global economy and participate in a diverse, democratic country.
- Educators must partner with families and communities on behalf of our nation’s children.
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Workshops

Encouraging students to bring their personal experience to their reading.
with Joshua Parker
Joshua Parker, 2012 Maryland Teacher of the Year, shares how he encourages students to bring their personal experiences to their reading.

Incorporating reflective learning in the classroom in ways that encourage disciplined thinking.
with Leslie Nicholas
Leslie Nicholas, 2004 Pennsylvania State Teacher of the Year, shares how he incorporates reflective learning in his high-school classroom.
Videos of Practice

Incorporating reflective learning in the classroom in ways that encourage disciplined thinking.
with Leslie Nicholas
Incorporating reflective learning in the classroom in ways that encourage disciplined thinking.
Grades 9-12