Several months ago I bragged on my friend, Nathan McAlister from Royal Valley Middle School, who had just been selected as the state Gilder Lehrman History Teacher of the Year.

And just last week we were informed that Nathan has been selected as the Gilder Lehrman National History Teacher of the Year.

He and several of his students will be traveling to Washington DC for the official ceremony in mid-October and Sandra Day O’Connor will present Nathan with his award. Too cool!

Working state representative for passage of student bill

There were many excellent candidates just within Kansas and I know that there are great teachers all over the country. For Nathan to be selected is huge. But he definitely deserves it.

Vickie Wold, a colleague of Nathan, had this to say in her nomination letter:

Nathan has changed what defines history at Royal Valley. Where once reading the chapter and answer the questions was known as history, cannons now fire on the playground, dueling pistols sound in the parking lot, Civil War soldiers’ legs are amputated and the White House burns to the ground north of the football field across from the sod house being built by students.

If you are a parent of one of his students, you might be delivering sod or a covered wagon on your day off. Or you might be coming to the school to help sew costumes for the many reenactments performed by RVMS 7th and 8th grade students.

Mr. McAlister eats, breathes, and sleeps history.  He is truly enthralled by discovering  some new bit of information from the past and helping his students, as well as other staff  members, discover their own new bits of history.

Nathan with students during state congressional hearing

Kansas, and the country, could not have found a better teacher to represent all that is right about history profession. Congratulations, Nathan!