PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — For the last 22 years, Leon Smith has taught social studies at Haverford High School. It was his first job after college.
“I said to myself, I wanted to be the teacher that I never had, and that was something that really motivated me,” he said.
That motivation helped him create a welcoming environment in the classroom that recently landed him the 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Award.
“Making sure that I know my students, understanding their backgrounds, their learning styles, as much as I can learn about them I try to learn so that when it’s time to teach they’ll want to learn because they know I care about them,” he said.
He said he’s poured his heart into teaching over the years and was so happy when he heard he earned the title.
Smith said he wants to continue to use his platform to inspire more people to become teachers and elevate the profession.
“We need more educators of color and I want to make sure that’s not only a state that we discuss but a national issue that we discuss,” he said.
As Pennsylvania’s Teacher of the Year, Smith will travel the state, meet and collaborate with other educators, and represent the commonwealth in next year’s National Teacher of the Year competition.