Leon Smith remembers being the only Black teacher at Haverford High School when he started 25 years ago, and he remembers the racism he faced, too.  

What kept him in the classroom was a Black vice principal who told him his talent was real and that he should keep being himself. 

Now Smith is the 2026 National Teacher of the Year, and he’s using that platform to prepare the next generation of educators for both the promise and the difficulty of the work, writes Maddie Hanna at The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Smith, who teaches Advanced Placement U.S. History and Advanced Placement African American Studies, recently spoke with teaching fellows from Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia during a training session at Germantown Friends School.  

The nonprofit prepares young educators to lead enrichment programming for middle-school students. 

He didn’t offer them a polished pitch. Instead, he offered a candid, classroom-tested account of what teaching can demand. 

Smith urged the fellows to seek out supportive colleagues, research schools before accepting jobs, and learn when to speak up and when to walk away.  

He spoke about wanting to become the teacher he never had growing up. 

Teaching, he said, is a chance to help students recognize talents they cannot yet see in themselves, especially when adults take the time to notice those strengths. 

“You’re going to be able to see the light inside of them,” he said, “and sometimes it just takes someone else to notice, right?” 

The best way to connect with students, Smith told the fellows, is to show up as yourself. 

 “You walking in there and walking in your own life, and bringing your passion and all the reasons why you wanted to become a teacher,” he said. “Your students are going to feel that.”  

For Smith’s complete advice to future educators and more on the path that shaped his teaching, read the full report at The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

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