Early Career Teaching Institute

2023 National Teacher of the Year Rebecka Peterson is a math teacher who loves stories. Rebecka is in her 15th year of education, the last 11 of which have been at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Rebecka used her platform as National Teacher of the Year to highlight teachers’ stories of the good that is happening in education. She believes that when we learn each other’s stories, we carry a piece of each other with us. This helps us to authentically advocate for our students, teachers, and their communities.

In the midst of a challenging first year of teaching, Rebecka joined other educators in a daily practice of noting "one good thing" in her classroom. They lived by the motto that “Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day.” This habit transformed her work. Rebecka now collaborates with fellow educators, emphasizing the importance of cultivating intentional joy as a means to sustain oneself in the difficult but beautiful profession of teaching.

Rebecka is a proud immigrant of Iranian-Swedish descent and lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with her husband, Brett, and their son, Jonas.

Hear from a panel of amazing local educators about what brings them joy and sustains them in their teaching career.

Panel facilitated by Mary Klehr (UW-Madison) & Michael Jones (Madison Metropolitan School District & Madison Teachers, Inc.) featuring:

Carrie Bohman, Madison West High School - Social Studies
Tuyet Cullen, Whitehorse Middle School - Math & Science
Jen Greenwald, Wingra School - Middle School All Subjects
Andrew Johnson, Madison East High School - Biology
Meri Lau, Midvale Elementary School - Art
Sarada Hanumadass Weber, Vel Phillips Memorial High School - English

Upcoming Opportunities:

Madison Area Green and Healthy Schools Summit
Teaching About the Elections